


Getting to Know You

by RandomdudeNo123



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25180141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomdudeNo123/pseuds/RandomdudeNo123
Summary: "Staying around her after she admitted to using us all as pawns... Doesn't she scare you, Nagisa?""No.""And that's why she's so dangerous."Alternative: Nagisa and Karma team up to find out how much of Kayano's personality was real.
Relationships: Akabane Karma/Okuda Manami, Kayano Kaede/Shiota Nagisa
Comments: 53
Kudos: 155





	1. Prologue

Shiota Nagisa was sleepless. Under the soft lights of his bedroom, he lay prone on his bed, begging for sleep to come. No respite came, and his eyes remained wide open.

Nothing else to do, Nagisa took the notepad lying on his desk. It was the notepad he used to document all of Koro-Sensei's weaknesses. Flipping through it, all of the past year's memories slowly began flooding back. Allowing himself a small smile, Nagisa continued reliving his old memories. Each page replayed a happy moment during last year, a moment forever kept within him. Joyfully reminiscing about the past year, the young boy turned the pages carefully. 

The notes didn't end at 37. At some point in time, Nagisa had begun writing down various observations about his fellow classmates as well. These observations ranged from glaringly obvious ( _Chiba works best at long range_ ) to surprising ( _T_ _erasaka has a soft spot for nerds)_. Going through these memories, the small smile had turned into a wistful grin as he recalled everything. Suddenly, a name he saw gave him pause.

_Kaede Kayano_

_That's not right._ Taking out the pen attached to the notepad, he quickly scratched out the old name, replacing it with _Akari Yukimura._ Satisfied, Nagisa's eyes wandered down the list. _Hates large breasts, can't swim, loves pudding…_ These were all traits from before she had revealed herself as Akari. Satisfaction quickly waning, doubt began to creep into Nagisa's mind. Even when she had revealed herself to them as Akari Yukimura, Kayano's personality hadn't changed at all. _Could it all just be another act?_ _But there's no reason to act anymore… Right?_

Groaning to himself, Nagisa's head slammed back down onto his pillows. It looks like tonight was going to be another sleepless night, after all. 

* * *

"... and that's why I called you." Stifling a yawn, Nagisa spoke into the phone. Sunlight was shining through the windows, morning arriving far too slowly for his taste. Sleep had been elusive last night, with speculation and doubts running rampant through his mind. Even when he had finally dropped off, his dreams had been plagued by thoughts of Kayano, which was something Nagisa thought only happened in bad movies. As soon as he possibly could, Nagisa had dialled the first person he thought of for help. Words fading into a blurry rush, he quickly explained the situation.

“Heh. It’s about time you wisened up.” The wry voice of Karma Akabane came out over the phone.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Nagisa was taken aback by the unexpected response. He had expected some teasing, but there was a strange bitterness in Karma’s voice.

“The girl’s been lying to us for the better part of an entire year, and you’re only wondering who she really is NOW? You’ve really outdone yourself in density this time, Nagisa.”

“Come on, Karma… You know the last few months were intense. I didn’t really get time to think about what happened back then.” Nagisa sheepishly tried to defend himself, to no avail. “Wait… Does this mean you never trusted Kayano?”

“After her little incident out on that field? Never have. Getting lied to and manipulated for several months does that to you.” Karma’s voice held a caustic tone, and Nagisa could almost imagine the little smirk on his face. “Hell, if our roles were switched out on that field…” His voice drifted off.

The message was as clear as broad daylight. _I would have let her die._

“Karma…”

“All I’m saying is that she’s lucky you were there. And hey, you were also pretty lucky yourself. Stealing a kiss right when she least expected it… Looks like Maehara’s got competition, huh?” With casual ease, Karma steered the conversation away from the uncomfortable topic.

“Karma! You know there wasn’t any other way!” Nagisa’s face began to heat up.

“Keep telling yourself that, _Casanova._ We both know what’s really been going on in that head of yours.” Smug little snickers echoed out the phone as Nagisa struggled to come up with a witty comeback. 

“You know what, just forget it. I’ll just ask someone else for help…” 

“Who said I wasn’t helping?” 

“But… I thought you didn’t trust Kayano?”

“I don’t. And after her little stunt, I doubt I ever will. Unlike you, Okuda or the rest of the class, I don’t exactly forgive easily. Unfortunately for me, though, both of you decided to befriend Kayano, so I’m obliged to keep her around. I might as well find out a little bit more about her if she’s gonna stick around.” Karma’s voice held the same guarded tone to it, but there was a passing hint of curiosity. “Plus, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in what’s behind her pretty little mask.” He added on as an afterthought.

“That’s… great?” Nagisa was puzzled. On the one hand, it was great that Karma was going to help him learn more about Kayano. But on the other hand… Was it really a good idea to go to him for help, knowing about his mistrust for her? Pushing the thought aside, Nagisa pushed onwards. “We’ll meet up at your house later today to begin planning, OK?”

“Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Not so fast, Nagisa. You of all people should know my services don’t come for free.”

“Fine… What do you want this time?” Nagisa rolled his eyes. Not that it mattered, because they were on a call anyways. 

“Oh, I’ll think of something…” With impeccable timing, the phone line went completely dead, instilling a sense of foreboding within the poor boy. _I really hope I don’t regret this..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, another Kayano-Centric fanwork. Can you guess my favorite character yet? (It's Terasaka.)
> 
> I guess I should explain Karma's dislike of Kayano, huh? While I can't say too much without spoiling the plot, just know Karma's isn't the most forgiving or open of people. And that Kayano reminds him of a certain significant event.
> 
> (Side note: This fanfic was inspired by Dreaming-Of-AssClass's blogpost about Kayano. I'd feel guilty if I didn't mention them, so do go visit them!)
> 
> (2nd side note: Due to an error of mine, this fanfic was posted earlier than I intended. Author's notes for the 1st 2 chapters were edited in, as well as the blurb for the story. Sorry!)


	2. Sweets

_ Kaede Kayano loves sweets. _

Even on the most quiet of days, the Kunugigaoka shopping center was always bustling with activity. Crowds of people always milled about, going to and fro in their daily lives. One member among the throng of people stood out, however. Not because of anything outstanding about him, but because of the absurd amount of candy boxes he was holding.  Wobbling uncertainly, a towering pile of multicolored boxes slowly made it’s way through the food court. Careful step after careful step, Nagisa nervously watched as the boxes threatened to collapse onto the floor. Even his breathing was stifled, lest a strong breeze drop heavy boxes of candies on his head. Watching in smug satisfaction, Karma recorded the poor boy’s efforts from a nearby table. After several intense minutes, Nagisa cautiously set down the massive tower on the table. “You could have helped…”

"Your mission, not mine. I'm only here to tell you how to not screw things up." A lazy smirk on his face, Karma looked up at the multicolored tower of sugar.

"No wonder your dream job's to be a bureaucrat." Nagisa grumbled, mostly to himself. "I've brought all the candies you've recommended. Flat Tops, Marshmallows, Pocky Sticks… Even some raisin cookies."  _ There goes all my money for the week. _

"Good, good. I've also brought a little something of my own." Producing a vial of clear liquid from his jacket, Karma's face morphed into a sinister grin. "We'll just pour this all over her candies, get her to eat them, then ask her anything you like!"

"Huh? What's that?" Peering closer, Nagisa watched as the liquid sloshed around in the test tube. It just seemed like normal water to him.

"Truth serum. I asked Okuda to make me a fresh batch yesterday."

"Karma, no! We can't just drug her!" Horrified, Nagisa considered slapping the tube right out of his hands. 

"Relax, it's got no permanent side effects. I should know; I had Okuda test it on me before bringing it here."

"Still, we can't do that! I don't think she'd ever trust me again if we did…"

"After what she's done, I don't think  _ trust _ exactly matters anymore. She was willing to break ours, after all. Why does it matter if we break hers?" Karma's grin remained as sardonic as ever, but Nagisa could still feel the boiling fury behind it. 

Sapphire eyes met Gold in a furious clash. Sparks flying from heated glares, neither Karma's nor Nagisa's gazes wavered. All time stood still as concealed anger met steely determination. Unconsciously, Karma clenched his fist around the serum, cracking the tube slightly.

Karma was the first to withdraw. Shutting his eyes in resignation, he repocketed the truth serum. "All right, it's your mission. What do you suggest?"

Letting out a pent-up breath, Nagisa's posture relaxed again. "We'll just give the candy to her. If she really likes sweets, she'll eat them, right?"

"Hmph, I guess that'd work." Eyes returning to his usual dismissive stare, Karma sneakily took his phone out of his pocket. "We'd better say it's from a secret admirer, though. Kayano would eat anything you offered her."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?"

"Figure it out yourself,  _ Casanova. _ " Flipping his phone out, Karma quickly took a picture of the blushing boy. In an instant, Nagisa was treated to a picture of his own blushing face.

"H-hey! Delete that right now!"

"What? I'm just showing you the time." Karma pointed at the upper-left corner of the phone.  _ 9:27 AM. _ "We wouldn't want to be late now, right?" Stretching his arms, the redhead motioned to leave. Nagisa remained stationary, though.

"Uh… Karma?" Nagisa pointed at the towering pile of candy boxes. “I can’t carry these all on my own.”

"Oh, all right. Hand me a few of those boxes." Rolling his eyes in exaggerated annoyance, Karma took half the stack in his arms.

* * *

Sitting alone in her empty house, a young girl carefully tied back her hair into twin ponytails. Within the confines of her apartment, only the ticking of the clock prevented the place from falling into silence. Ever since Aguri had died, the place had been, for lack of a better phrase, as quiet as the grave. Only Kayano lived in here now, and the silence was heavy. Not even the noise of the TV could fully relieve the loneliness of the apartment, although it helped.

It wouldn't have to stay like that for long, though. For some reason Nagisa had neglected to explain, he and Karma were coming over to visit today. While it was strange that Nagisa was visiting without stated reasons, she certainly wasn’t going to turn him away. With both no goal to aim towards and nobody to speak with, Kayano was glad for the brief reprieve from her isolation. 

Thanks to the silence of the apartment, Kayano could hear anything that went on within it. Not that there was much to hear, but that made any noise that much more surprising. And right now... she could hear indistinct mumbling at the door.  _ That’s probably them. _ Taking a single glance at the mirror, Kayano checked her hairstyle one last time. Satisfied with it, she quickly opened the door.

Caught off-guard, both Nagisa and Karma immediately went silent upen hearing the door creak open. However, it wasn’t their silence that caught Kayano’s attention. That honor went to the large cardboard box Nagisa was clutching in his hands.  _ Weird… _ Momentarily ignoring it, Kayano directed her attention to her two friends. "Nagisa, Karma. It's good to see you two again!"

"It's good to see you too!" Nagisa replied, shifting his weight to keep the box steady. Karma said nothing, flashing a smile instead. The smile didn't reach his eyes. 

Stepping to the side, Kayano motioned for them to come inside. "Come in! You must be tired carrying that… thing. What's in that box, anyways?"

In one smooth motion, Karma pulled off the box's lid, revealing a treasure trove of sweets.  _ Flat tops, pocky sticks, chocolate bars… _ Any less self-control and Kayano would have begun drooling. Devil horns growing on his head, Karma bowed, presenting the candy to her as if she had just won the lottery. 

"All your favourite sweets- Courtesy of Nagisa Shiota." 

"Wha?!" Both Nagisa and Kayano chorused, turning bright red in an instant. Two pairs of eyes stared at Karma, wide open in shock and surprise. Recovering first, Nagisa rounded on the trickster. "I thought we were going to say it came from a secret admirer?"

"Hm? I don't remember that. Are you sure you aren't imagining things, Nagisa?" The picture of innocence, Karma watched with glee as both pigtail-wearers grew even darker shades of red.  _ At least there's one thing that can break through her pretty little facade… _

Laughing nervously, Nagisa turned to face Kayano again. "I guess it can't be helped…" With an awkward smile, he offered the box to her. "Here."

Wordlessly nodding, Kayano took the box into her own hands. She would have said something, but anything that she would say would probably come out as a stuttering mess. Hiding her face behind the box, she let both of them inside.

* * *

_ Kayano recovers quickly _ . Secretly jotting down the observation on his notepad, Nagisa marveled at how quickly Kayano was able to settle down after the blushing. Perhaps it was her years of training as an actress kicking in. Perhaps it was her strength of will or her perseverance. Or perhaps it was just the distracting glory of a box filled with nothing but pure, unadulterated sugar. At this point, Nagisa didn't know anymore.

"Are you sure I can have all this?" In contrast to Nagisa's expectations of a candy massacre, Kayano seemed almost hesitant. Her hand had been half-lifted for several minutes now, but she made no effort to take anything from the box. Full of indecision, she sadly stared at the rainbow of colors in the box.

"Y-yeah. It's yours." Unlike Kayano, Nagisa was still recovering from the effects of Karma's betrayal. Cheeks still a deep red, Nagisa wasn't sure if he was staring down at his notepad out of deep focus or embarrassment.

"Hmph. The least you could do is try to pretend you appreciate it. And after all the trouble poor Nagisa went through to get it for you." The year had done nothing to blunt Karma's scathing tongue. While he now used it only sparingly, provocation was still one of his most powerful tools. Watching the events unfold, Nagisa began worrying again.  _ Karma's only ever provoked people who he considered his enemies. His first meeting with Koro-Sensei, those delinquents... Does he consider Kayano an enemy now? _

"I do appreciate it!" The red had begun to spring up again as Kayano defensively crossed her arms.

"Then why don't you prove it? Go grab your favourite snack from the box. I'm sure Nagisa would appreciate seeing you eat it." Golden spheres shimmered dangerously as the words left his mouth. An undercurrent of danger laced the delinquent's words, Nagisa observed.  _ He's trying to get a reaction out of her. Kayano's too distracted by Karma's needling to fake a love for sweets. The first snack she takes either proves or disproves the note. _

_ Is this really the right way to do things? _

Conscience prodded, Kayano made up her mind. Darting out quickly, her hand snatched a box of strawberry pocky. Eyes locked on to Nagisa, she took a big bite out of the first stick, as if to prove she truly enjoyed it. Unfortunately for her, that opened up the floodgates. Quickly finishing off the first stick, she chowed down two more in the time it took for Nagisa to blink. 

Staring in awe as Kayano burned through Pocky Sticks, a small sense of relief flowed through Nagisa. Putting down a big check mark on his notepad, he was glad to see that at least some things didn't change. 

_ Confirmed: Kaede Kayano likes sweets. _

* * *

_ Bonus Scene: _

"I thought we agreed on the Secret Admirer excuse… Why did you rat me out?"

"Well, you admire something about her, right? There's something about her that convinced you to give her a second chance."

"... Yes." Nagisa didn't elaborate on what. Telling that to Karma was definitely something he'd regret.

"And you've never told her."

"... No."

"Then by all technicalities, you're a secret admirer."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Karma ever learn the power of forgiveness and love? Probably not. 
> 
> I should probably mention that I really do intend for the story to a funny comedy fanfic, though. But, at the same time, exploring Kayano's relationships to the other members of the cast is also incredibly tempting... Either way, you can expect to see more members of 3-E chime in with their opinions at some point. 
> 
> Next up: The gang watches a movie!


	3. Swimming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I lied... The gang's NOT watching a movie this chapter, sorry. I'm saving that scene for future use, though.

_Kaede Kayano can’t swim._

Off in the Kunogigaoka mountains, a small path snaked gently onwards. Leading the the now abandoned 3E campus, the road was slowly being overtaken by the creeping grasp of nature. Nobody used the old path anymore, not after the events that transpired up in these mountains. Or, at least, nobody should have. Hiking up the old school trails, Nagisa couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance. In perhaps a year or two's time, maybe the old trail would become nostalgic for him, a reminder of the good times he'd spent on them. Right now, however, all he felt was annoyance at having to re-trek the same tiring paths so soon. Why was he doing this again? _Oh, right._ During some point in time, Isogai and some Class 3E members had fixed the damage caused to Koro-Sensei's pool in Yanagisawa's attack. Having put the finishing touches on it yesterday, Isogai had invited the entire class over to cool off in the summer heat. The entire class had accepted wholeheartedly, as all of them were being boiled alive by the summer heat.

True, what they were doing was _technically_ trespassing, but nobody really cared about what happened in the Kunugigaoka mountains.

Turning the corner, the boy began hearing the sounds of splashing and laughter. Enthusiasm renewed, he rushed past the overgrown foliage, eventually arriving at a bustling pool. All of his former classmates were there, either splashing away in the pool or casually relaxing under the shade of the trees. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see that the destroyed dam had been repaired. 

Sugino was the first person to notice him. Blatantly ignoring the _no-running-by-the-pool_ rule, he sprinted over to Nagisa’s side in his swimming trunks. “Jeez, what took you so long? I almost thought you weren’t gonna show up!”

“Sorry, I had to walk all the way here… Didn't have any money left for the train." _Really shouldn't have spent all my money on candy…_ "I'll go get changed now."

“Ah, wait! I almost forgot. Karma wants to see you as soon as possible. It seemed like he's planning something, so be careful, alright?" 

"All right."

"One you two are done with whatever you two have planned, just enjoy the day, OK? I'll see you around!" With that, Sugino sprinted away, executing a perfect cannonball as he dived into the crystalline waters. Shielding his eyes from the water droplets, Nagisa chuckled softly to himself.

* * *

After changing into his swimwear, Nagisa began hunting down the red devil. Strolling past the splashing waters, happy recollections began to replay in his head. Like an old memory, some things hadn’t changed at all. Off in the shade, Hazama flipped through yet another book, while Kataoka blazed through the swimmer’s course like a jet. Constant splashing came from all corners of the pool, as people happily splashed about the man-made lake. But despite everything… some things had changed. Wearing an over sized life jacket, Itona was flung into the pool by Yoshida and Muramatsu, both wearing massive grins. Seeing him pass by, Nakamura wasn’t constantly making jokes about his gender. The biggest change came as a bitter reminder. _There’s nobody in the lifeguard’s chair._

"Why don't you just piss off already, Akabane?!" Terasaka's irritated scream startled Nagisa out of his thoughts. Buzzing around the irritated behemoth like a gnat, Karma snickered at Terasaka's annoyed expression. "You know damn well I didn't get to enjoy the pool last time!"

"Well, whose fault was that?" Before Terasaka could start hurling insults, Karma noticed Nagisa's approach. Leaving the scowling boy to fume, Karma took the convenient excuse to leave. Raising a hand in friendly greeting, he quickly made his way over to his fellow conspirator. "Looks like you made it after all. Didn’t have enough fare for the train?”

“No, thanks to the candy plan… I’m beginning to regret asking you for help.”

Clutching his heart in fake sadness, Karma’s grin only grew wider. “Hey, don’t say that. You two had fun yesterday, didn’t you? I know I sure did.”

Reluctantly, Nagisa nodded. “I guess it was pretty fun, even with your tricks…”

Blatantly ignoring the last part of the sentence, the devil’s smirk turned hollow. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, because this next plan’s going to be a lot less fun for both of you.” Before Nagisa could interject, Karma had already muscled on with his explanation. “It’s not that complex, though. All you’ve got to do is push Kayano into the pool.”

“Oh.” Confusion flickered through Nagisa’s face for a brief moment before the realization struck him. “Wait, Kayano can’t swim!”

“I did say it wasn’t going to be fun for either of you. Unfortunately, this is something we've got to test.”

“Can’t we just ask her if she can really swim?” Nagisa's plea for mercy fell on deaf ears. 

Shaking his head, a grim look shadowed Karma’s face. His hollow smirk only grew more pronounced as he responded. “She’s already proven she can’t be trusted. The only way we can understand her is by constantly taking her by surprise.”

“I… I’m sure we can find another way!”

A surge of anger spiking, Karma’s voice turned dangerously low. “You’ve always been like this, Nagisa. Always ready to find another solution. Always unwilling to accept the hard truth until it’s lying on the ground in front of you. People don’t change unless something forces them to. Didn’t last year teach you that?” Anger quickly dissipating, Karma’s face softened, it's sarcastic smirk disappearing. Regret passed through his face for a brief second, but it was quickly masked under his casual expression.“You know what? Forget about the mission. We’ve got a full day here at the pool, so let’s just enjoy it. I’ve got a few new toys I’ve been meaning to try on Terasaka…”

“I’ll do it.” The hesitant boy was gone now. Mouth set in resolution, Nagisa’s stare was cold. Tossing Karma the notepad, the assassin walked away, steps filled with purpose. 

Unexpectedly, Karma stepped up, matching Nagisa in pace. Inconspicuously, both boys began walking down the pool’s side. In response to Nagisa’s side glance, Karma shrugged. “You’ll need a second pair of hands to pull her up in case she starts drowning. Just because I don’t like her doesn't mean I want her dead.” The last part came out as a mutter, mostly to himself. The assassin nodded briefly, pace unslackening.

* * *

Sitting at the side of the pool, Kayano’s back was turned to both lurking threats. Paddling her feet in the clear water, her body language indicated that she was extremely bored. The lack of any activity suggested that she had forgotten to bring her pool tube or a life jacket, but decided to change into her swimsuit anyways. _Only 5 seconds. If she takes longer than that, I’m pulling her out immediately._

 _I’m really sorry about this…_ Taking a deep breath to calm his wavelengths, Nagisa took a quick glance at Karma. Having split to avoid suspicion, the prankster flashed him a thumbs up from behind a convenient tree. Still harboring doubts about the plan, the assassin crept closer to the target, casual step after casual step. Like a snake slithering through the grass, his approach went unheeded by his target. Only a few inches separated the two now.

Assassin’s instincts flaring, Kayano turned around. "Nagisa? What are you-"

"Sorry." One push of his hand and her fate was sealed. Arms flailing in panic, she dropped into the pool. For a split second, both eyes made contact. Looking at him in disbelief, Kayano’s face twisted in shock as the betrayal sank in. Then she was gone, and the water rippled in disturbance. Kneeling down by the edge of the pool, Nagisa began the mental countdown. _5 seconds._

_One._ The ripples stopped, and the water was still again.

_Two._ Nothing changed, but Nagisa’s heart was starting to beat much faster.

_Three._ Some bubbles broke the surface tension.

_Four. Oh crap._

_Fi-_ A pair of arms lunged at him from under the water. Before he could leap back, they latched on to his hand with a steel grip. One quick tug and Nagisa was also sent tumbling head-first into the water. For the briefest of moments, only the ripples in the water left any evidence of the two. Then, almost in sync, two heads burst out of the water, mouths gasping for air. Shaking droplets of water out of his eyes, the would-be assassin blinked rapidly. His vision slowly clearing, the first thing he focused on was the green blur that vaguely looked like Kayano. "And that's for dumping me in the pool!" An exuberant voice rang in his ears.

"Wait… Kayano, you can swim?" Vision cleared, Nagisa's face frowned in confusion as Kayano stayed afloat. _Karma was right to be suspicious..._

"Oh." Looking down, the actress realized that she was floating in the water without holding on to anything. "Uh… Surprise?" She smiled guiltily, similar to a child after being caught lying. An awkward silence passed, both parties struggling to come up with a reasonable response.

 _The silence… The water's stopped splashing._ A feeling of dread looming in his soul, Nagisa turned around wildly. 26 pairs of eyes stared back at him. Looking at their faces, the class's expressions ranged from shock to confusion to amusement. Taking swift advantage of the situation, Nakamura was now recording the two gleefully. Somewhere in the trees, boisterous laughter echoed out. Bobbing in the water, Kayano seemed just as mortified as Nagisa felt. “I think I’m going to drown myself now…” was the last thing she muttered before dropping her head back down into the pool. Agreeing silently, Nagisa sunk down into the water to escape the stares.

* * *

_Bonus scene:_

“Kataoka, are you alright? You look down.”

“Oh, Okano! I’m fine. I’m just… thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Taking the empty chair beside Kataoka, Okano dropped into a seat cheerily. 

“Remember the first time we were here, before Tagawa appeared? Kayano was drowning then, and I saved her, right?”

“Yeah, I remember that. It was cool, the way you just leapt in like that to save her!”

“Thanks. But… Kayano can swim, right? Do you think she knew how to swim before, as well?”

“I guess she did… We didn’t really have time to learn new things back then, since we were all so busy.”

“Back then, I thought I was saving her from drowning. But, looking back at it now… Do you think she was faking it, just to look weaker?”

“I… I guess she was.”

“Okano… Do you think she was just using me as just another tool?” The question hung in the air like a lead weight.

No answer left Okano’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mostly basing the "Kayano can swim" thing off of the epilogue, where she casually jumped off a cliff into an ocean. But then again, 7 years is a long time to learn swimming. But on the other hand, almost drowning's a pretty easy way to gain sympathy points from the rest of the class, right? Eh, just roll with it.
> 
> So... in terms of plot, this chapter's just here to set a few more things up. I'm not going to go over what those things are, but I'm pretty excited nonetheless! 
> 
> Next up: An interlude, and a few questions.


	4. Interlude 1: Night time

All good times had to end eventually. As the sun lit everything in a blazing orange glow, the crowd of friends slowly dispersed, former classmates leaving one by one. Finally, only a handful of people remained by the shimmering waters. 

“I should go soon. Travelling home on foot’s going to take a while.” Taking one last glance at his friends, Nagisa turned to leave. Only Sugino, Karma, and Kayano were left now. 

Running up, Kayano swiftly placed herself beside Nagisa. “I’ll join you! It might be lonely, walking home all by yourself.”

“All right.” It wasn’t an unusual arrangement by any means. Both of them had walked home together before, either with Sugino and Okano or just as a pair. 

“Well then, I’m coming too!” Before Sugino could rush up, his neck awkwardly jerked him back. Karma had grabbed on to his shirt collar, preventing him from joining the duo.

“Hold on there. Let’s give the two lovebirds some private time.” Turning his gaze on said lovebirds, Karma gave them both a small wink. “Stay safe, you two.” 

Once again, the message was clear to Nagisa. _Don’t let your guard down._

* * *

Walking under the shattered moonlight, both Nagisa and Kayano had spent the journey in comfortable silence. The mountain now far behind them, their destination was still a long walk away. The road ahead was marked only by dim lamplight and whatever moonbeams the sky would cast their way.

"Kayano, can I ask you a question?" A thought had been building up inside during their walk. Faint at first, it had slowly taken over his consciousness.

"Hm? Sure, go ahead!"

"What was it like? When you still had your tentacles, I mean.” The words had slipped out before he could block them off. "Sorry. I just thought of the question... You don't need to answer."

"No, no, it's fine. You deserve an explanation, at least." Eyes cloudy and remote, Kayano turned her face away from Nagisa. "The tentacles… hurt. They always did. It was like a voice was in my head, constantly whispering about Aguri. Always reminding me of her death, of what I needed to do. Every time I ignored it, it felt as if a knife was slowly tearing through my neck… Those nights alone in my apartment were the worst."

"I… I'm sorry. I wish I could have helped." Unconsciously, both of them stopped under a single lamppost. Head lowered in guilt, Nagisa stared down at the floor.

A gentle but firm touch fell on his shoulder. Looking back upwards, azure eyes met hazel. Eyes interlocked, Kayano let a smile of gratitude play on her lips. "Don't you see? You did help. Okuda, Kanzaki, Sugino, Karma… And you. I don’t know how to explain it, but whenever I was with you all, the voices were always quieter.” Looking to the sky, both of them watched as pinpricks of light shone down on them from above. "Do you remember the night in Kyoto, after Koro-Sensei tried to spy on both the boys and the girls?"

"Yes… You had your hair down that time, right?" _It was just like this. Both of us staring into the stars, talking to each other._

Kayano nodded. "That night was when I felt most like myself again. No assassinations, no tentacles… Just some games and stories. When I said I wanted one more school trip, I really did mean it.” Releasing her touch, Kayano's hand wandered to the back of her neck, feeling for two small bumps.

“But it’s over now, right? The voices are gone?”

“Don’t worry about me, Nagisa. My mind’s clear now… All thanks to you.” A jesting grin on her face, Kayano tilted her head. “My hero.” The words were meant to come out as a joke, but there was a touch of genuine affection within them. 

After that, the conversation lulled. Neither friend spoke, leaving their footsteps as the only things to break the silence. Walking in the dim glow of the lampposts, Nagisa watched as Kayano’s face constantly shifted between light and shadow. 

_All that time, Kayano… What did I ever know about you?_

* * *

Watching as both teenagers disappeared down the mountain trail, both Karma and Sugino began smiling for completely different reasons. Arms akimbo, Sugino watched with glee as two of his closest friends headed off together. As soon as their figures disappeared in the woods, his head turned to face Karma.

“So, what’d you want to talk about?”

Karma’s eyebrow raised as he dug his hands into his cardigan. “What makes you think I wanted to talk about anything?”

“The great devil Karma Akabane, willingly missing the chance to get some quality blackmail? You’d need a pretty good reason to pass that up, and since you’re still here…” Sugino’s grin grew wider at the stunned look on Karma’s face. Pleased with himself for getting past the devil’s guard, Sugino waited for the explanation.

Wiping his countenance into his default smug expression, Karma nonetheless was impressed. “You’ve gotten better at this, huh?”

“Hey, I’d be a pretty bad friend if I didn’t learn anything about you for the past year!” Sugino exclaimed, painfully oblivious to the truth of what he just said. All around them, the golden sunlight faded away, leaving them all in shadow’s grasp. 

Abandoning his side-eyed glare, Karma turned to face Sugino directly. His face was now only lit by the little sunlight left, the rest of it hidden away by the ever-growing darkness. The first question was cautious, almost unremarkable if not for the circumstances. "How do you feel about Kayano?"

"Hm… She's nice, I guess. She's a good friend of Kanzaki, kind of cheery and bubbly. In terms of crushes, we’re kinda similar, actually.” 

"I guess.” Mulling it over, Karma’s next words went directly to the point. “Do you trust her?”

"You're thinking about the thing with the tentacles, aren't you?" Sugino carefully waited for a reaction, but Karma remained as passive as ever. "I won't lie, I was scared of her as well. Seeing _her_ , of all people, like that would have scared anyone. I learned to push it aside, though."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"The way I see it, our class was a team, just like in Baseball or any other sport. If the team's to be the best it can be, all the members have to push aside their doubts and work together. And looking back on it now… Kayano was still a good team member.”

"Excellent speech, Captain. I’m so inspired.”

"Sorry, can't help it. Shindo's really been rubbing off of me." Scratching the back of his head, Sugino let out an apologetic smile. “Remember Kyoto?”

“Yep. What about it?”

“Well… To tell you the truth, back then, I was terrified of you. Suspended for bully hunting, trashed a teacher’s office, even capable of hurting Koro-Sensei… You seemed like a psycho.” Hearing his list of attributes brought a pleased grin to Karma’s face. “And then Nagisa had the bright idea of bringing you along for the Kyoto Trip. But since you were such a good friend of his, I thought that maybe I'd give you a chance. And hey, look where we are now!” Lightly poking Karma with his elbow, Sugino gave him a happy wink.

Sugino’s upbeat personality was infectious. Letting a grin out, Karma’s fired back with a ripsote of his own. “So, you’re saying I was just as scary as a crazed tentacle monster? I’m flattered.”

“Hm… Not quite. If evil Kayano was a 10/10… I’d give you a 7.” 

“So, what do I need to do to get a perfect 10?” The evening shadows made Karma’s dark aura even more unsettling. Sugino visibly paled for a moment, causing Karma to begin snickering. Realizing the joke, Sugino gave out a hearty laugh, filling the mountain with a sound it had forgotten for a while.

“Seriously, though… If you ever find yourself worrying about Kayano, just go talk to Nagisa. Those two are really close.” The pitcher flicked on his phone’s flashlight, illuminating the woods with a faint white beam. “We’d better start heading home now before it gets too dark.

“Yeah, let’s go.” For a brief moment, Karma had considered telling Sugino about his worries. That moment passed quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kayano opening up is a good thing, right? ... Right?
> 
> Some of you may be wondering about the difference between an interlude and a normal chapter. To keep it simple, the interludes are probably going to focus on different members of 3-E that aren't Nagisa, Karma, and Kayano. This first one's just to introduce the idea, so it still featured the main trio + Sugino. (I'm probably going to make an interlude once every 2 chapters. Is that too much, or just enough?)
> 
> I'm also thinking about leaving hints for eventual chapters at the end of the interludes, just for fun. For this one's hint... Let's revisit the preschool scenes, the ones before the 2nd semester midterms!
> 
> (Side note: Due to school related reasons, updates may or may not slow. I'm still unsure on if they'll actually affect this story, so sorry about that.)


	5. Preparations: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we begin, I just want to mention: I'm not putting in the "Kaede Kayano is X" for chapters where she isn't prominent. That's all!

_Chuuniban: another play?_

_President Poverty: Yes. Mr. Matsukata's inviting us again to stage another play. Apparently, the kids liked the last play so much they've been begging nonstop for their princess to return. He extended the invitation to everyone in the class, but only some of us are coming._

_Poison Glasses: kayano accepted before any of us could decide…_

_Forever 0: Hey, it's going to be fun! Hes even paying, even though it wont be much… @Chuuniban @Gender Are you two in?_

_Darkness: Why Nagisa? He doesn't have any acting experience. He didn't even join any of the plays._

_Forever 0: Ah_

_Forever 0: Well_

_Forever 0: I thought he might need the money?_

_Baseball freak: You're far too obvious sometimes, @Forever 0…_

_Forever 0: NOT LIKE YOURE ANY BETTER_

_Gender: Sorry, I can't make it. Sakura has a tutoring session scheduled on the day, so I'll be busy for the day. @Chuuniban, how about you?_

_Chuuniban: ill join. @Pseudo-Takaoka ready for another chloroform dose?_

Karma quickly muted the chat before his phone exploded from Terasaka's barrage of angry messages. While everybody was distracted by the the rage-filled spam, he quickly shot off a few private messages of his own.

_Karma Akabane: you sure about not going?_

_Blueberry: Sorry, but Sakura gets really irritated if I miss her classes. Tell the others I said hi, OK?_

_Karma Akabane: sure. should i snoop on our target again?_

_Blueberry: If you want to._

_Blueberry: Please don’t kill her._

_Karma Akabane: no promises :)_

Checking back on the main group chat, Karma let out a low whistle. Judging by the incessant spamming of gibberish, it seemed like Terasaka was aiming to break both his limits and his screen. _Three. Two. One._ And right on time, 300 angry messages had been sent in the span of 5 minutes. _Must be a new record._

Snickering to himself, Karma shut off his phone. Isogai could deal with that himself.

* * *

A week before the play, a delegation of their makeshift troupe appeared in the local mall. Armed only with whatever pocket change they could spare, their mission was clear: Hunt down and retrieve all necessary props for their upcoming performance. Walking into the mall with predetermined purpose, the four leads began their heroic quest.

The Kind Hearted Princess, Kaede Kayano, clutched a grocery list within her hands. Holding the parchment approximately 2 centimeters from her face, Kayano stared at it like undecipherable riddles were etched into it. "All right! We're going to need… Uh… Hold on…" She held the paper up to the light, as if perhaps invisible ink would make the messages evident. It didn't. "Kanzaki, could you maybe…?"

The regal queen of the Everwoods, Yukiko Kanzaki delicately took the list in her hands. "It's in running script." Without any hint of struggling or pausing, Kanzaki listed off all the items on their shopping list, much to the shock and dismay of Kayano.

"Art materials for the background, chemical mixtures for the special effects, and hair dye and new costumes for the actors?" The wicked witch of the wilds, Manami Okuda committed the grocery list to memory. 

Karma Akabane, the Crimson Flame of the North, made no such attempt. Cutting the proverbial knot in two, he simply took a picture of the grocery list. Casual stance betraying none of his machinations, Karma scrolled through the list. "We'd better split up into pairs. It'll make the trip quicker." For once in his life, none of Karma's options were terrible. While Kayano was obviously the ideal pick, wheedling information out of her closest friends could also be enlightening.

Before the sinister plan could be enacted, though, Kanzaki had already spoken up. "Kayano and I will handle the hair dyes and art materials, since we both have experience when it comes to hair coloring. Since Okuda is the class chemist, she'll pick up the ingredients we need for the special effects, as well as the extra parts of the costume we'll need. Karma, is it all right if you accompany her?"

"Yeah, Karma. Is it alright if you're partnered up with Okuda?~" Kayano's face twisted into a poor imitation of Karma's smirk. 

"Yeah, sure." Completely unfazed, Karma gave a small shrug of approval.

"Don't worry, everyone. I'll be fine as long as Karma's with me!" Unfortunately for Kayano's revenge teasing, both Karma and Okuda were completely comfortable in each other's presence. 

"It's decided. We'll see each other at the end of the day. Take care of each other, you two." In elegant fashion, Kanzaki dragged away a fuming Kayano, leaving the witch and the knight to their own devices. Karma could have sworn he saw a small smirk on Kanzaki's face as well.

Watching as the pair vanished into the crowds, Karma's face held a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "You know those two are trying to ship us, right?"

"I don't mind! Spending time with you is always fun." Peering through her spectacles, Okuda looked up at the valiant knight before her. Staring back down on her, Karma was made blindingly aware of her searching gaze. She was scanning his face for any signs of discomfort or unease. "How about you? Are you OK with this?"

 _It's best not to worry her._ Putting on a warm smile, he blithely waved a hand in dismissal. "If you don't mind, then I guess I won't." Karma slyly studied Okuda's face in return, making sure that she wasn't worried about him. Satisfied with her happy look, he began strolling down into the mall. "Come on, let's go get our costumes first. You can't be a witch without a hat and cape, after all."

"Then the chemical set next?" Okuda's eyes shone with unrestrained eagerness.

"Then the chemical set next."

* * *

Hidden amidst a vast ocean of plastic and rubber, two explorers searched the endless assortment of toys for the perfect props. Two pairs of eyes cast their vision across the racks of playthings, foraging for anything that would catch their attention.

"Hey, Okuda. Could I ask you a favor?" Absentmindedly playing with a rubber knife, Karma let loose a few deft strikes at the air.

"Of course! I can't make anything for you until after the play, though…"

"No, nothing like that. Could you remind me of how exactly the play goes again?" It had been months since they had performed, and the plot had slipped out of Karma's mind easily. The events that took place after were far more important than a simple play, after all.

"Oh, um, sure!" Okuda's forehead wrinkled as she began to recall the fairytale. "Once upon a time, there was a queen. The queen had two children, a dashing prince and a lovely princess. One day, a wicked witch cursed the queen, killing her in her sleep. The prince, in desperate anger, transformed himself into a hideous monster to give himself the power to destroy the wicked witch. Once the transformation was complete, however, he lost his mind. He rampaged across the kingdom, destroying everything in his path. The princess and her gallant knight rode out to try and stop it, but they didn't want to kill the monster. Before they were forced to, the witch returned. Horrified at the destruction she had caused, the witch cast a magic spell to put the monster to sleep for a thousand years. The end!"

"So… That means we need two swords, three crowns, and a witch hat and magic wand for you." A teasing grin on his face, he turned towards Okuda. "Want a puffy dress and a sparkly wand? Magical girl Manami has a nice ring to it…"

"Ah! N-No. I'm supposed to look evil, remember?" 

"Your loss." With an over-exaggerated sigh, Karma replaced the sparkly wand back where he found it. "Now then… Let's find you something evil to wear." 

* * *

In the end, they eventually settled on a witch's hat and a black shawl. Despite Karma's… innovative ideas, neither Okuda nor their meager funds would allow for anything more than that. Afterwards, they had blitzed through the toy store, picking up the required swords and tiaras. 

Following Okuda's lead for the next part, the prankster found himself in heaven. Deep in an isolated corner of the mall, a novelty store filled to the brim with prank tools lurked. Deftly weaving between the joy buzzers and the whoopee cushions, Karma watched in whimsical wonder at all the potential evils he could bring. Running into the chemical section of the store, Karma quickly accosted his busy friend. "Okuda… Don't tell me you've been keeping this wonderland all to yourself?"

Letting out a brief giggle, Okuda nodded. "If you found this place, you would have ended the world before Koro-Sensei could."

"Well, it's too late now. You've unleashed a demon, Okuda."

"But I thought Karma was a knight?"

"That was before he met the evil witch." Bantering with the bespectacled scientist, Karma was startled at just how low his defenses were dropped. During the short period of time they were together, the girl had managed to worm her way past all of his internal guards. Every mental barricade he set up was nullified by her mere presence alone. He hadn't even tried to cajole any information about Kayano from her. Silently, Karma thanked the heavens that Okuda wasn't the blackmailing sort.

The conversation lulled as Okuda turned back to her chemical bottles. Letting his thoughts fly freely, Karma began wondering about this strange friendship between them. What exactly made him so comfortable around her? The answer was simple, so simple that he had never given it much thought until now: It was her honesty. Her stunt with Koro-Sensei had marked her as someone worth watching, and the feeling only intensified after she had joined his circle of friends. Having someone beside him that didn't have any hidden motivations or agendas… Karma decided long ago that he rather liked the feeling. Following that train of thought, that was probably the reason he had also befriended Sugino and eventually trusted Nagisa. Sugino's upbeat personality usually meant that thoughts flowed out of his mind unfiltered, and Nagisa… While Nagisa's own personality was quiet, he really did mean anything he said.

Speaking of Nagisa… Karma couldn't help but feel some pity towards him. Even if Nagisa didn't fully understand it himself, his actions proved that he felt some form of attraction. Which would have been adorable and sweet, had it been anyone else except the two-faced actress. If she was willing to backstab them all before, she was certainly capable of doing it again. Why would Nagisa willingly open up the same blindspot he had before? What did he even see in that traitor?

"Karma!" Refocusing his thoughts, Karma found himself face to face with a very worried Okuda. Unconsciously, his face had slipped into a foreboding frown, which was probably the reason Okuda looked so perturbed. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need a moment?"

"Hm? Sorry, I was just thinking."

"I-It seemed important, what you were thinking about…" 

"Don't worry about it. Let's just focus on your chemistry, OK?"

"Are you sure?"

Karma paused. Once again, an urge to tell someone about his growing fear passed through him. "I'll be fine, Okuda." Picking up a random bottle, he waggled it in front of Okuda. "How about this thing? Aren't we going to need this?"

The scientist's expression didn't change. "I can tell when Karma is trying to distract me…" Putting her chemicals back on the shelves, she turned to face her troubled companion. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Weakened by her earnest stare, Karma compromised. "After the play. Wouldn't want you to get distracted, right?" Letting out the briefest of nods, Okuda turned back to her chemicals. Sticking his hands back into his cardigan, Karma let out a sigh of annoyance. He really did hate making her worry.

* * *

Eventually, Okuda's shopping trip came to an end. Double-checking her bottles, the chemist made sure that everything she needed was safely contained and secure. Smoke bombs, sparklers, as well as the ingredients for a new experimental formula she wanted to try. After confirming everything was safely packaged, she gave a thumbs up to Karma, who promptly lifted the shipping crate in his hands.

Taking the plastic bags with their props, Okuda walked side-by-side with her companion. "We should go back now. Kankazi and Kayano are probably waiting for us." He probably hadn't noticed it himself, but Okuda caught Karma tensing up once she mentioned Kayano's name. Silently cursing her inability to read people, all she could do was wonder at the meaning of it.

"Already? I was having so much fun." The cheeky quip eased Okuda's worries, if only slightly. _If Karma's making jokes, that means it's not too bad, right?_

"I had fun too! I hope we can do this again soon…" Okuda hesitated on the next few words for a split second, before tossing them out into the air. "You'll tell me after the play, right?"

In turn, Karma hesitated for a moment. Nodding his head, his face held a curious expression Okuda couldn't decipher. Was it annoyance? Fear? Anger? "Of course I will." His voice was soft, no levity within it.

Sensing his downcast mood, Okuda fired off her trump card: A surefire way to improve his mood in an instant. "Once we're done with that, I'll brew you anything you like!"

"Are you sure? You know a devil like me is going to take full advantage of that offer."

"Of course! A secret for a potion, how does that sound?"

"Heh, you really are a perfect little witch, Okuda. I accept." The smiles on their faces restored, both partners headed back towards the meeting point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We interrupt your regularly scheduled Nagikae to bring you some Karmanami! Sorry about that, but not really. (Since this ship's going to be somewhat important to the story, I'm going to add their ship tag to this fanfic. Sorry if this confuses anyone.)
> 
> So... Karma must value honesty in a person, given his close friend group of Nagisa, Sugino, and Okuda. (And what used to be Kayano, until a certain event...) True, he eventually does also become friends with Nakamura, but that was midway into the second season. I wonder if there's a particular reason for that?
> 
> If you're looking for hints for upcoming story events... Take another look at the fairytale. Notice anything familiar? (Side note: The Fairytale's 100% made up by me. It's not a real thing, AFAIK.)
> 
> Next up: Same day, different POV!


	6. Preparations: Part 2

_Kaede Kayano gets sentimental easily._

With a firm grasp on the smoldering princess, Yukiko Kanzaki effortlessly dragged away Kayano before the situation could worsen. Taking one last glimpse of the relaxed couple, both of them made a hasty retreat into the crowds. After they had put a safe distance between themselves and Karma and Okuda, Kayano shook off Kanzaki's grasp. Sulking, the foiled shipper stomped her feet on the ground in annoyance. "It's not fair! How come he doesn't get all flustered and embarrassed when paired up with Okuda? I thought they were supposed to be a couple?"

"Not everyone is as easily flustered as you, Kayano…"

"I'm not easily flustered! It's just… Nagisa's supposed to be oblivious and dense! Just when I've finally calmed down around him, he shows up with a box of candies at my house! How am I supposed to be calm about that? Especially when… You know…"

Kanzaki didn't know. Or at least, she didn't know the full story. While she was aware that Kayano wanted to stifle her feelings so Nagisa could live his life in peace, she didn't know why exactly Kayano wanted to do that or for how long. Sometimes, she wondered if the poor girl was really acting out of the goodness of her heart, or was just using the excuse as a means to escape any awkward conversations. Nodding politely, she waited to see if Kayano would finally elaborate or drop the topic again.

Kayano dropped the topic again. "Anyways… Do you want to get the hair dye or the art materials first?"

Disappointed, Kanzaki didn't push the issue any further. "I think we should get the hair dyes first. They should be easier to carry."

"It's decided, then!" Cheerily, perhaps a tad bit too cheerily, Kayano pranced off deeper into the massive mall. Too polite to ask any questions, Kanzaki followed behind at a more reasonable pace.

* * *

Their first stop was at the cosmetics salon. The main task here was to pick up several cans of hair dye so Okuda could try out a new mixture she had perfected recently. If all went well, she would be able to produce chemiluminescent hair colorant, or as Fuwa aptly termed it: _Super Saiyan Hair Dye._ Despite the fake fireballs and the multicolored smoke bombs, the glowing hair dye was still Kanzaki's personal favorite invention.

Of course, the main downside of it was that whoever was stupid enough to put it on would have to endure glowing hair for the next few weeks until the chemicals wore off. It only really shone in dark places, but that simply meant that the user would have to endure many sleepless nights. Silently, Kanzaki thanked the heavens that she wasn't the prince of the story. Speaking of which… Kanzaki began searching the catalogs for orange hair dye. Much to her surprise, it was Maehara who had been selected for the role of prince, not Isogai. Since his hair was already naturally colored, spraying the same color of hair dye on it would be less obvious than it would be on the black haired Isogai. That still left the problem of glowing in the dark, but apparently glowing hair made a great conversation starter with the ladies. _He really is incorrigible._

A swift tap on the shoulder caught her attention. Standing behind her with a doubtful look on her face, Kayano held an unfamiliar looking magazine. On it's cover were a multitude of different hair styles. Nervously tugging on her hair tufts, Kayano spoke up. "Hey, Kanzaki, I have a question. I've been thinking about it for a while now, and... Do you think it would be fine if I started letting my hair down more?”

Surprised by the abruptness of the question, the personification of politeness kept her courteous demeanor anyways. "You would look fine without the pigtails. But why do you ask?”

“Well… It may sound a bit silly, but I don’t want to trigger any bad memories in anyone. And, well, you know what happened... What do you think?”

“I think it’s nice you’re being considerate of the others. But you know you can’t keep your hair in pigtails forever.”

“You're right. What should I do?”

“Hm... “ Tapping her fingers in contemplation, Kanzaki set forth a suggestion. “The play is coming up in a week’s time. You can let down your hair for the princess role, while you're in costume. That way, you can slowly start getting everyone used to your regular hair."

“That’s a really good idea. Thank you!” 

“Any time.” A friendly smile on her face, Kanzaki took a bottle of hair dye into her own hands. “Now then… What do you think of this orange? Is it close enough to Maehara's natural color, or should we keep looking?”

* * *

In the end, they had settled on Kanzaki's first choice. Purchasing a few extras in case the first batch failed, Kayano watched with disinterest as the spray cans clanked noisily at the bottom of the plastic bag. Alongside the orange ones was an extra set of blonde dye, a special request from Fuwa. The walk leading up to their next store was spent in silence. Footsteps fading into background noise, the former actress almost didn't notice when they had arrived at the next store. Having split up in unspoken agreement to make combing through the arts and crafts store easier, Kayano was now tasked with picking up a very specific brand of markers amongst the endless rainbow of office supplies. Wandering deeper into the aisle, Kayano found herself surrounded in a vibrant display of tones and hues. Ballpens and markers of all shapes and sizes filled the room in a splendid array. Releasing a long-suffering sigh, she began combing each section for Sugaya’s preferred brands. As labels flew past one by one, her consciousness slowly began to ponder her purpose in being here.

 _When I decide on something, I move straight towards it._ And as of right now, her one purpose was to try and make up the time she had wasted on her stupid revenge plot. The entire year had gone without her fully enjoying any of the good times they had. Everytime she began to lose herself to the moment, the voices in her head always pulled her back from truly relishing anything. Once they had left, it was far too late with the deadline fast approaching. That was the reason she had immediately accepted the invitation, of course. With nothing holding her back anymore, she longed to try and capture what little time they had left before they all went their separate ways. She couldn't bear to waste any more time.

An especially vibrant batch of colors caught her eye. There, nestled right on the top row of the shelves, were the pens she had been looking for. Their hues almost perfectly resembled her own friends’ hair colors. Reaching up, she quickly grabbed a handful of them without thinking. Seeing red, blue, and green caused a fresh torrent of thoughts to course through her. They had all brushed aside her betrayal so easily, all acted like she was still Kaede Kayano despite knowing the truth. It wasn’t that she didn’t regret her actions, or that she wanted them all just to forget they ever even happened. It was just… how would you even open that topic? _What can I say so you won’t run away?_

Forcing her musings out, Akari Yukimura dropped the markers into the basket. One day, she’d find the words to properly apologize for her mistakes. Just… not right now.

* * *

Finally, the day had brought itself to a close. Carrying an inordinate amount of art supplies, the girls had settled down right at the center of the mall, where they waited patiently for the other members of their troupe to return. Kanzaki was the first to spot the two as they approached. Okuda's hands were both occupied by large paper bags, while Karma held a medium-sized shipping crate up to his chest.

Kayano was nothing if not determined. Doing her best Karma impression, she sidled over to the potential lovers. "So, how did it go? Did you two enjoy yourselves?~" 

"Yeah, we had fun. You?" Unfortunately, Karma was nothing if not unfazeable. True feelings masked under a smile of impish joy, Karma remained unreadable. Okuda was much easier to read, her face clearly contented with the day. Assault frustrated again, Kayano could only mumble a polite greeting in response.

Backing her up, Kanzaki arrived second. Saving Kayano from even more embarrassment, she cut in as soon as it was appropriate. "Did you two find everything we needed?"

This time, it was Okuda who responded. Nodding brightly, she shook the paper bags in proof. Several sword hilts, the tip of a crown, and the top of a wolf mask stuck out of the top. As if to copy her, Karma also shook his container gently, much to the poor scientist's consternation. "K-Karma! Don't shake that! You could get chemical burns!"

"Ah, sorry." Curiously quipless, Karma held the box steady yet again. Kayano could only assume that extremely dangerous chemicals were packaged in the wooden crate. 

Before the vengeful princess could try her teasing luck again, Kanzaki had already begun enacting her own plan. Trading bags, the two friends began discussing the plans for the following week. Or rather, Kanzaki began talking about her plans while Okuda listened. "We'll store these at Kayano's apartment, as she's closer to Mr. Matsukata's place. Okuda, you'll have to keep the special effects with you until Monday. Is that all right?"

"That's OK! My home should be the safest place to keep them, so it'll be fine!"

"Ah, that reminds me. Karma, you'll have to accompany her home as well, since that crate's too large for her to carry on her own." Kanzaki flashed an enigmatic smile at Karma, hoping to get a cute reaction out of him.

It didn't work. His countenance as relaxed as ever, Karma's grin didn't even shift. "Hear that, Okuda? Looks like we'll be spending the rest of the day together after all."

"I-I can't ask you to carry that crate all the way home!" 

"I'll be fine, Okuda. Don't worry about me." Despite Okuda's worries, the crate was surprisingly light. Only containing three bottles tightly packaged in styrofoam, it was perfectly feasible for Karma to carry the box for the entire trip. Directing his gaze at the two unsubtle shippers, Karma kept his expression completely neutral. "We'll be seeing each other in a week's time, right?"

"Yes. Both of you, be sure to practice your lines at home." 

"Sure, sure. We'll see you two then." With that, Karma turned to leave. Cheerfully oblivious to the duo's scheming, Okuda walked side by side with her companion, leaving behind a fuming Kayano and a disappointed Kanzaki.

* * *

Bonus scene:

_Karma Akabane: hey_

_Karma Akabane: just made it home._

_Blueberry: Hey, Karma! I've got some great news!_

_Karma Akabane: you first then._

_Blueberry: Sakura wants to visit your play next Monday, so we can both go! She said something about wanting to meet the students of the Monster Teacher, so we're postponing the tutoring for that._

_Karma Akabane: cool. told you-know-who yet?_

_Blueberry: I still can't understand why we can't call her by her real name…_

_Karma Akabane: so ritsu dosent tattle on us. back to the main question._

_Blueberry: Not yet. I want to surprise her after the play._

_Karma Akabane: plenty of tease material here, but ill have to save that until i can see your face. make sure not to tell anyone else youre going._

_Blueberry: I'll be sure of that! See you next monday!_

_Karma Akabane: see ya._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of you were probably expecting Kayano to be a static character that slowly had more revealed to herself over time, huh? Joke's on you, she also deserves character development! I did say this was going to be a Kayano-centric fic, right? (Don't worry, Nagisa gets the spotlight next chapter.)
> 
> As a side note, I just want to say I have no clue on how to write Kanzaki (and Kataoka). I don't know why, but I'm never satisfied when I write a chapter with these two. Hope my awkward handing of her this chapter didn't distract you too much...
> 
> Next up: Nothing goes wrong, and everything is fine! =)


	7. Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, the writing style gets a little bit strange towards the end. There's a good reason for that.
> 
> Enjoy the good times. =)

_ Kaede Kayano knows how to excite an audience. _

Arriving on a bright sunny morning, a small cluster of teenagers found themselves in front of the old cram school as the second batch visiting today. The first group, the once participating in the play, had arrived long before them to begin preparing their performance. The second batch consisted of their audience. Only those with friends in the play were visiting, reducing their number to a mere handful. Surveying the crowd, Nagisa made a mental note of the visitors.  _ Itona, Sugino, Isogai, Takebayashi, Okajima, and Justice.  _ All of them were dressed in casual clothes, except for Sugino. He was dressed in his baseball uniform, an unfortunate consequence of having to rush over as soon as his practices were over. 

Standing in front of the school, an old man carefully watched as the visitors approached the school. As a sign of respect, everyone bowed low once they were close enough. Okajima and Justice bowed the lowest, hoping not to catch a scolding. Speaking in a respectful tone, Isogai once again represented their group. "Mr. Matsukata. It's an honor to be invited once again to the Wakaba Park School."

"The honor is all mine. It was your class who fixed the place, after all. Any member of yours will be welcomed here at any time!" A stark contrast to the grouchy old man who had considered them all delinquents, Mr. Matsukata now regarded them all warmly. Breathing sighs of relief, both Justice and Okajima loosened their postures.

"Thank you, sir." 

"Incidentally… I heard the news on the television. My sincerest apologies for the loss of your teacher." A serious look fell over Mr. Matsukata's face.

"Wait- You knew?!" Justice stepped back, clearly shocked at the revelation.

"Of course he knew, that was the entire point of us fixing up the old place!" Takebayashi shook his head in frustration. Nagisa noted with mild amusement that his belt was much tighter than normal. 

"Ahem." 

"Er, I mean, prestigious and time-tested school!"

"Much better. The play is undergoing last minute preparations, so I request that none of you disturb your classmates until after their performance. Aside from that, do enjoy your time here!"

"Thank you, Mr. Matsukata." As a single unit, the class bowed another time. Wasting no more time, they entered the building in single file, Nagisa trailing last. Before he could enter though, he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. Mr. Matsukata had halted him from entering.

"Mr. Shiota, I must thank you especially. I'm aware Sakura is… a handful, so I'm grateful you've chosen to help her in her studies." His voice was warm in the way only an old grandfather's could be. 

"It's no problem at all, sir. I'm glad to help." Nagisa responded in kind, though perhaps a touch more politely. The elder had a soft spot for his oldest student, often acting as a surrogate grandfather for her. Because of this, he was very appreciative to anyone who helped Sakura, and especially Nagisa. 

Thoughtfully, the old principal pulled on his chin. "Have you ever considered teaching, Shiota? You would be a fine teacher, if Sakura is any indication."

"I have, sir. Koro-sensei helped me decide last year."

"Despite my early misgivings, your teacher was a wise man, wasn't he? The world could have done with more good men like him." Somberly, Nagisa nodded his head. The loss hadn't fully sunk in yet. Guessing his thoughts, Mr. Matsukata gently patted him on the back. "Though I may not be as close to you as he was, I would still like to offer my assistance. If you ever need advice on your career path, you can speak with this old principal anytime you like. I'm sure my years of experience could help you somehow."

Taken aback by the offer, Nagisa was struck silent for a few moments.  _ Koro-Sensei… Did you plan this too? _ Mentally sending a prayer of thanks, Nagisa gratefully accepted the offer. "I will. Thank you, Mr. Matsukata!"

"It's no issue. I'm just doing my job as an educator. Now then… You'd better run along, Shiota. I'm sure your friends are waiting for you." Pushing the door open yet again, the old principal beckoned the young teacher inside. Without hesitation, Nagisa stepped into the building.

* * *

Unfortunately for the arriving audience, preschoolers don't forget easily. With a terrifying squeal of excitement, a tidal wave of children began bearing down on the outnumbered teenagers. Nervously double checking his belt, Takebayashi quickly scampered off before the grasping hands could humiliate him again. Like a pack of wolves, the preschoolers quickly pounced on their newfound prey, dragging off their returning playmates to their own little worlds.

Arriving later than the rest, Nagisa found himself in a dimension of chaos and insanity. His first order of priority was to hunt down Sakura. Knowing her, she was probably interrogating one of his classmates about the  _ Monster Teacher.  _ Gaze swiftly cast across the room, he made a beeline towards the first hint of pink hair he saw.

True to form, Sakura had cornered a very confused looking Sugino. A barrage of questions were launched towards the poor bewildered pitcher. "What was the monster like? Did he really have mind control powers? Was he going to do evil things to you all?"

"Uh…" Before Sugino could crack, Nagisa stepped in.

"Nagisa! You're just in time!" Tugging on his sleeve, Sakura attempted to tattle like Nagisa was her big brother. "Your classmate won't tell me anything interesting! Everytime I ask him a question, he just ignores me!"

"Sakura, now isn't the time. Can't you wait a little bit longer?"

"But you said I could ask anyone anything I wanted!"

"After the play. Why don't you greet some of your old friends?" Sulking, Sakura crossed her arms in frustration. She planted her feet on the ground, determined not to move an inch until she got what she wanted.

"Psst. Hey, Sakura, was it?" Do you see the big boy with a buzz-cut?" Furtively, Sugino pointed at Okajima, who was currently drowning under a pile of stuffed toys and rowdy children. "He'll answer everything you want to know." Re-energized, Sakura rushed off to interrogate her next victim.

Before Nagisa could react to the cold-hearted sacrifice of Okajima, a queenly voice rang out. "Attention, everyone! The play starts in 5 minutes, so please prepare to enter the story room!" Standing in front of the crowd, Kanzaki acted as messenger for the play. Dressed in full regalia, she was the very image of a queenly matriarch. Sugino was predictably starstruck at the sight of her. 

The queen's head turned as she caught sight of the two. Visibly flinching, she quickly made her way over to them. Caught completely off guard by the approach, Sugino could only muster a few words in greeting. "H-Hi. Y-You look… Nice."

"Thank you." As with everything she did, Kanzaki took the compliment gracefully. With a small frown, she turned to the supposedly absent boy. Doubt was clouding her face. "Nagisa, I thought you couldn't make it?"

"Sakura wanted to meet you all, so she canceled today's session. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all earlier." In guilty fashion, Nagisa scratched the back of his head. "Please don't tell Kayano. I wanted to surprise her."

"All right." Clearly anxious about something, Kanzaki headed off to finalize the preparations. Watching as she left, both boys began pondering her strange behavior. 

"Kanzaki seemed nervous, didn't she?" Sugino scratched his head in confusion. 

"Yeah…" What worried Nagisa the most was the visible worry on Kanzaki’s face. She was normally the most composed out of all of them. For her to be this visibly shaken… Something was clearly wrong.

"Do you think she has stage fright?"

"Maybe." The would-be detective considered the possibility.  _ Kanzaki had been in the peach play, right? She wasn't nervous then, so why would she be nervous now? Surely there's another reason... _

"All right, I'll find a way to cheer her up after the performance!" Nagisa couldn't help but marvel at Sugino's dedication to fighting a losing battle. It was admirable, the way he kept a smile on his face despite the constant friendzoning by Kanzaki.  _ At least none of my other friends are as lovestruck as him…  _ Pondering further, a strange thought struck him.  _ I've never seen Kayano have a crush on anyone yet. Maybe she couldn't fake love easily? _

Before he could ask Sugino, the pitcher snapped his fingers in remembrance. "Ah, wait! Didn't you say you wanted to surprise Kayano after they're done?" The assassin nodded. His intentions weren't as pure as they all suspected. What he really wanted was to observe Kayano without her realizing it. Would she act exactly the same, or would there be a difference? 

Taking off his baseball cap, Sugino firmly placed it over Nagisa's head. The cap was a perfect fit, much to his surprise. "There. That should cover up your bright blue hair!"

"Oh. Thanks." Nagisa adjusted the cap, making sure it covered all the sky-blue strands.

"No problem!" His bluish-black hair now fully exposed, Sugino gave him a big thumbs up. Arms akimbo, he stared at the  _ story room.  _ "How long was it before the play started again?"

* * *

According to Mr. Matsukata, the room they were about to enter was the story room, a place filled with whimsical magic and wonder. According to the label on it's door, it was a storage room. The preschoolers seemed excited though, judging by the way they were excitedly hopping up and down. Observing as the preschoolers vibrated with excitement, a strange feeling filled the future teacher. Was this his future? Pushing open the door, the principal stepped aside to let everybody in.

Entering the room, Nagisa couldn't help but be reminded of a movie theater. The room was dim, cool, and completely quiet. It wasn't a perfect match, however. The massive blanket that was probably supposed to be a curtain spoke of budget constraints, as well as the complete and utter lack of any chairs. Instead, the spaces closest to the stage were filled with playmats, which the children happily dropped themselves upon.  As agreed upon before, the preschoolers occupied the frontmost spaces, sitting cross legged on the floor. 3E took the hardwood floor behind them, and Mr. Matsukata guarded the door in case any children tried to play truant. 

Nestled in between Sugino and Itona, Nagisa tried to remember how exactly the play went. Something about a monster and a princess?  He wouldn't have to wait long. As soon as everyone had settled in, the curtains rolled back. 

_ "Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a royal family. A heroic prince, a kind hearted princess, and their mother, the queen." _

Standing in the spotlight, three majestic figures appeared before them. To the left was the heroic prince Maehara, cape as gallantly orange as the hair on his head. In the middle was Kanzaki, royal elegance emanating from her. And to her right was Kayano, dressed in a maroon gown. Her hair now flowed down her shoulders, free from their usual cat-ear style... Seeing her like this stirred a slumbering memory within Nagisa.  _ The last time I saw her wear red was… No. Don't think about that.  _

_ "They all lived happily, until one day, tragedy struck. A wicked witch cursed the queen, killing her in her sleep." _

Despite his best efforts, his mind began to slip. Uninvited and unwanted, the memory began to replay itself once again.  _ Starry skies. A field of grass. _ Dimly, Nagisa noticed a flash of light strike Kanzaki.  _ Light. Flames. Burning grass. _

_ "Enraged at the death of his mother, the prince and his knights attacked the evil witch. But they were no match for her powers." _

Someone was screaming. Calling out for revenge.  _ Killing this monster. _ The screams were growing louder now.  _ Die! Die!  _ Nagisa's breathing grew shallower, his fists clenching. He could almost smell the smoke.

_ "The prince, desperate for revenge and powerless to fight back, unleashed forbidden magic to fight back. He transformed himself into a hideous monster for power. But when the transformation was complete, he lost his mind. Rampaging across the kingdom, he destroyed everything in his path." _

His consciousness was blurring now. His eyes now shut tight, Nagisa tried to block out the images from playing in his mind. Unconsciously, his hand brushed the hardwood floor underneath him. _The grass isn't real._ _None of this is real. We're in Wakaba School, watching a play. Kayano is safe. I'm safe._

_"The princess and her knight ran out into the ruined city, trying to calm the prince down before he destroyed everything."_ For a split second, Nagisa looked back upwards at the stage. There she stood, in the midst of fires and ruins. In a second, his thoughts fragmented. 

Dark. Dark room.  _ Dark sky. _ Green. Green hair. Green hair, flowing down against a red dress. Red. Red candlelight.  _ Red fires, snaking down green tentacles. _ Small candles.  _ Roaring inferno. _

"Save him!"  _ Die! Die! _

Quickening breath. Tightening knuckles. Heart beating. Amber eyes.  _ Void eyes. _ Kindhearted princess.  _ Maddened monster. _ Kaede Kayano.  _ Yukimura Akari. _

Which one was real?

In a trance, Nagisa stood up. He could take no more. Dazed step by dazed step, he left the room. His brain hardly registered any sounds anymore, even the footsteps behind him. Hidden beneath the visor of his helmet, concerned eyes watched two figures leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Matsukata and Sakura being Nagisa's surrogate family... Isn't that cute? But I'm sure you want me to talk about that ending instead.
> 
> If you're unsure on what happened, Kayano accidentally triggered a flashback in Nagisa, who then walked out before the memories became too intense. While most Nagikae shippers (myself included) love talking about the kiss, almost nobody talks about the part where she sets herself on fire and screams DIE! a lot. That part seems kinda important. I'm not saying Nagisa had PTSD, but... Yeah, he might need help as well.
> 
> As per usual, I'm not satisfied with how this chapter turned out. I'm sure you guys expected that, though.
> 
> Next Up: An interlude where Nagisa learns a few important things about himself.


	8. Interlude 2: Retrospection

The sunlight was relieving. Taking deep breaths, Nagisa sat stone-still next to a window. His hands absentmindedly played with Sugino's cap, the feel of fabric slowly calming him down. All his senses were thrown in disarray, his mind still reeling from whatever he had just experienced. Gradually, his sight began to clear. Focusing on the sensations he could, his eyes transfixed themselves on what seemed to be reality. _Sunlight. Sunlight on the wooden floors. Sunlight on silver hair._ "Itona?" His vision clear now, Nagisa stared in confusion at the pale haired boy. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you." Itona bluntly replied, as if stating the obvious.

"Huh?” Recovering from the memory, Nagisa realized he had just walked out of Kayano’s performance for no good reason. Putting on a fake smile, he tried to reassure Itona. “I'm just taking a quick break. I'm fine!"

"You're not fine."

"No, I really am all right. I just… need a moment."

Itona wasn't convinced. Stepping closer, he aimed his probing glare directly at Nagisa. "You remembered something you didn't want to. The memory felt real, almost like you were pulled back through time. You didn't know what was real or fake."

Startled, Nagisa flinched. Itona had described what had happened in perfect detail. "Y… Yes. But how did you know?"

"You aren't the only one it's happened to." Itona didn't elaborate further. His mission complete, the silent wraith turned away. As he did, Nagisa caught a glimpse of the back of his neck. There, almost invisible to the naked eye, five small bumps lurked. It was the only hint that the stoic boy had once had tentacles. Thoughtfully, Nagisa remembered Itona's first meeting with the rest of the class. It was almost incredulous, the furious berserker being the quiet teenager standing before him. Suddenly, a thought struck the pensive boy. Calling out, he immediately acted upon his impulse. 

"Itona! I have a question for you.” Before his doubts could pull him back, Nagisa let his question loose. “How did the tentacles affect your mind? You weren't like this when I first saw you.”

"You just recovered from a flashback. Now isn't the time for this."

"I need to know. Please." If there was any hope of fixing this situation, he needed to find out. 

"I've been going through the research. All the documents that you took of the satellite. Most of it isn't pretty." Itona's gaze turned stern. "You don't need to hear any of this. Back off, Nagisa. Final warning."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." Nagisa's own glare shot back, matching Itona's in intensity and willpower. Like a snake preparing to pounce, azure eyes tracked his target, ready to strike at a moment's notice. 

Averting his eyes, Itona conceded. "Your choice. You're aware how tentacles can kill their host if used improperly. Do you know why?" In wordless attention, Nagisa motioned for him to continue. "When a tentacle seed is injected into a person, it is injected into the back of their napes. This is because it's the closest entry point to the spinal cord and thus the easiest pathway to the brain. Once bonded, the tentacles will then respond to any of the user's thoughts, allowing them to control them at will. This also means that if the tentacles aren't removed properly, the user could suffer brain damage, full body paralysis, or death."

Recalling all memories of tentacles, Nagisa nodded in confirmation. _Itona, Kayano, Yanagisawa… It’s always the back of the neck._ Concerned, Nagisa looked at the former tentacle user in a new light. “Will you two be fine?”

Itona nodded briefly. "Most likely. That's not why I'm telling you that, though. In order for the neuron bond to be successful, the tentacle cells release a sedative that dampens inhibitions. Eventually, all that's left are your deepest desires, which the tentacles subconsciously respond to. The sedative especially intensifies when the tentacles are used actively. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"N-No…" That was a lie. Dread growing closer, Nagisa prayed he had misinterpreted the words.

"It means all your hidden feelings are exposed. Every impulse, every thought you've held back… It all comes out in one burst of rage and pain." Itona's hand gripped on to his anti-tentacle bandana. His eyes narrowed, as if recalling a bitter memory. "The feeling isn't pleasant."

 _Every thought. Every feeling._ Faintly, the boy heard the echoes of screaming again. "I… I'm going home. I need some time to think." Taking off the cap, he put it down in front of Itona. "Give this back to Sugino for me. Thanks." In somber thoughtfulness, Nagisa left the school. Impassively resolute, the former berserker watched his classmate walk away. On his face was the smallest glimpse of pity, but nobody was there to notice.

* * *

It really was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, flowers blooming… It should have been a happy day. Walking underneath the shining yellow sunlight, Nagisa began to shake off the lingering memories in his mind. His thoughts were heavy, filled to the brim with unanswered questions. With momentous effort, he slowly controlled the tempest in his mind, bringing order to the raging storm. Bit by bit, using whatever information he had, he tried to piece together the answers. 

_Who is Akari Yukimura?_ Easy questions first. Akari Yukimura was the sister of Ms. Yukimura, their teacher before Koro-Sensei. She was an actress, her stage name being Haruna Mase. When Ms. Yukimura died, she changed her name to Kaede Kayano so she could join 3-E. Akari Yukimura is Kaede Kayano. Nagisa pursed his lips. It still didn't feel right, calling her anything other than Kayano. 

_What does Kayano like?_ Another simple question. Flipping through his notepad, Nagisa went through her characteristics again. Kayano loves sweets. She loves acting. She loved her sister. And she loves her friends… Right? _No matter what, I'm an actress. Background characters shouldn't meddle._

No. It wasn't an act. It couldn't have been. If it was, the kiss shouldn't have worked. Nagisa let out a sigh of relief as he confirmed the fact. She loved her friends. If she didn't, why did she choose to stay with them? They were friends. _Kayano's my friend._

 _Why am I still friends with Kayano?_ The question weighed on his mind like innumerable stones. After all, wouldn't it have been easier to just leave? Shaking his head, Nagisa immediately rejected the thought. Even if all the good times meant nothing to anyone else, they still meant the world to him. Abandonment wasn't an option, not after what they had both been through. Besides… Koro-Sensei would have wanted them to stay together.

 _Do I trust her?_ The question pierced through his heart like an arrow. Freezing on the sidewalk, Nagisa took a moment to process the question. At this very moment, every fiber of his being wanted to say _Yes!_ To confirm to himself that he trusted her in the way only fire-forged allies could. Theirs was supposed to be a bond only 3-E shared, and yet… It wasn't. Repressing the thought, Nagisa leaped to the next question.

 _Why did I start this plan?_ Pensive, Nagisa took a deep breath. For the longest time, he had avoided answering this one, fearful of the revelation he would come up with. His excuse to himself was that he was just being a good friend. After all, weren't friends supposed to know things about each other? 

But after the flashback, Nagisa couldn't lie to himself anymore. He was scared of her. No matter how hard he tried to pretend that he was fine, the flames had seared a hole in his memory. Her chilling tone, laced with a blood lust nobody suspected… It terrified him. Back then, he moved without thought, ready to save her at any cost. But now, with only his thoughts left to ponder… The fear petrified him.

 _That's why this mission's so important._ Until he found out who Kayano truly was, nothing would ever be the same. _I need to do this. For her sake._

_For my sake._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of exposition regarding how tentacles work in this universe, and a quick recap of how the Nagikae relationship stands from Nagisa's POV. He's really been through a lot, hasn't he? It's a bit of a short chapter, but still pretty important overall.
> 
> This chapter officially marks the end of the first "part" of three for this story! Does that mean I'm planning 24 chapters? Maybe, but probably not. I get bored easily, so we'll see where this takes us... Since the first part is over, I'm probably gonna take a bit of a break to plan out the 2nd part of this story. Instead of the usual 4 day uploads, expect the next one to take 5-6 days for planning. (Or maybe I'll just say screw it and wing the next part, who knows?)
> 
> Because it's the end of the first part, now's the time to critique the story as much as you like! What parts did you enjoy? What parts do you think could be better? Since I'm going to be mapping out the next part during the next few days, now's the best time to offer advice and criticism! (If you guys don't say anything, I'll probably just keep doing what I'm doing. BUT if you like what I'm doing anyways, feel free to say that too!)
> 
> As for the hint for upcoming plot points: Go check out the epilogue again! Some of the student's job choices might be important, even now...


	9. Movies

_ Akari Yukimura is an actress. _

"You look bad. No, scratch that, you look terrible. What happened to you last night?" Terrible was one way of putting it. Once sky-blue eyes were now cloudy and only half open. His traditional pigtails were sloppily done, half the hair spilling out of the restraints. His upright posture was now slouching heavily, and Karma suspected he'd fall over if he wasn't clutching on to the door like he was. In his hand was a cardboard cup of coffee, brown droplets pouring down the side.

"I… I spent all night watching as many Haruna Mase movies as possible. I was…  _ Yawn…  _ hoping to find some clues." Peeking over Nagisa's shoulder, Karma could see the flickerings of a TV still playing.

"Find anything useful?"

Stifling another yawn, the sleep deprived detective shook his head. "She's so… different. Each movie's like a new person." Lethargically, Nagisa handed over his notepad. "Maybe you can find something I didn't… You're much better at this than I am."

Karma didn't find anything. Or rather, he didn't find anything remotely legible on the papers. Staying up all night had taken a noticeable toll on Nagisa's handwriting, judging by the scrawls that were probably supposed to be notes. Several pages were even stained brown and smelled suspiciously like coffee. The inklings of a plan forming in his mind, Karma shut the notepad decisively. "We're not going to get anything out of just watching her movies. Looks like we'll have to go directly to the source."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle this one." Suddenly, Karma grabbed onto the cup of coffee. Wrenching it out of Nagisa's unwilling fingers, he marched past the sleepyhead, decisively tossing it into the nearest trash can. "In the meanwhile, go get some sleep. We're not getting anything done with you like that."

"Can't. Dreams won't let me." 

"Dreams? What dreams?"

"Nothing… Nothing. Sorry, I'm still a bit sleepy."

"A bit's underselling it. You're going to bed, or I'm knocking you out and dragging you into it myself." Picking up a stack of DVDs off Nagisa's table, Karma dropped them straight into his own bag. "And no more movies for you as well."

* * *

The plan was simple. After  _ "confiscating"  _ Nagisa's stack of Haruna movies, Karma would then invite the entirety of Group 4 over to Kayano's apartment. After their target had let her guard down, Karma would then invite them all to watch some movies. Barricade all exits, keep Kayano far away from the video player, and the assassination would be a breeze. Silently, Karma wondered what schemes the actress would pull to foil his plot.

As it turned out, assassinations were much simpler when the target had no clue you were trying to assassinate them. Which was how Karma found himself restraining a rampaging Kayano while everyone watched. "YOU CAN'T SEE THAT! NOBODY'S ALLOWED TO SEE THAT!"

“Relax, Kayano. It’s just a few movies.” Pulling her back by her arm, Karma had to admit he was enjoying this far more than he ought to be. Surrounding the panicked superstar, the rest of Group 4 patiently waited for the movie to begin. All except Nagisa, who was softly dozing on the couch. He had already seen all of these movies anyways, so there wasn't any point in depriving him of more sleep.

“NOOOOOO!” Limbs flailing wildly, Kayano struggled in vain to launch herself towards the video player.

“All right, let’s put it to a vote. Who here wants to see  _ Sister Game _ by starring actress Haruna Mase?” Grinning madly, Karma left her fate up to the whims of the group. The actress only intensified her attempts to escape upon hearing that. 

Reading the blurb on the back of the DVD case, Okuda put her hand up. "I… I'd like to see it, if that's all right."

“Yeah, you can't just tell us you're an actress and expect us not to see your movies!" Sugino also put his hand up in the air.

“I would also like to see it.” Kanzaki raised her hand slightly, but lowered it again just as quickly. “But if Kayano doesn't feel comfortable showing off her movies, then I won't force her." 

Nagisa abstained, as he was asleep.

Karma's gamble worked out. Faced with the threat of disappointing her newfound fanbase, Haruna Mase immediately capitulated. “I guess if you all want to see it, it’s fine… But only that one!”

* * *

They didn’t stop at just one. One movie led to another, and they eventually burned through the entire stack of dramas. Sitting next to a slumbering Nagisa, Karma lazily observed the group. Like a 5 year old watching his favourite cartoon, Sugino was flopped right in front of the TV. Behind him, Okuda and Kanzaki sat further back, completely engrossed in the unraveling plot. Off in a corner of the room, Kayano was curled up in an embarrassed ball, her face redder than Karma’s own hair. Only her head peeking above her knees gave any indication that she was actually watching.

As the end credits rolled, the sound of cheering and clapping filled the air, startling Nagisa awake. Uncharacteristically, Kanzaki was the first to vocalize her thoughts. "Well done, Kayano! Your acting was incredible!"

"I- it wasn't anything special…"

"Are you kidding?" Sugino shouted. "That was so good, I almost cried! Nagisa, you tell her!"

Having just woken up, Nagisa was still in the awkward state between sleeping and waking. Taking a few moments to process the question, he replied with the most ambiguous answer possible. "I think Kayano did pretty well. She's very convincing."

"W-wait... I thought Nagisa was asleep?" Peeking over, Okuda gave a confused look to Nagisa. He was definitely sleeping earlier, so how could he comment?

Sensing an opportunity for mischief, Karma leapt in like a shark. "Oh, Nagisa's watched all these before. All the DVDs are from him." 

"WH-WHAT?!" Suddenly, the corner of the room exploded in a flailing red-green ball. With an almighty leap, she flung herself across the room, towards the stunned boy in blue. In one smooth motion, she grabbed onto both his shoulders and began madly shaking him. "WHICH MOVIES DID YOU SEE? WHICH ONES?!"

"Only the ones in the pile…" Dizzy from the shaking and groggy from his awakening, Nagisa couldn't formulate a good excuse for why he had so many of her movies.

"Oh, thank goodness…" Kayano visibly relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. She then realized she had just viciously assaulted her close friend and crush for no good reason. Yelping, she dropped the dazed boy onto the couch. "Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!"

"It's all right… I'm the one that should be apologizing, watching your movies without permission." Nagisa also apologized, bring further awkwardness to the situation.

While everyone was distracted by the ensuing chaos, Karma sneakily pulled out the remote. Unfortunately for the starlet, this was only Part One of his master plan. 

* * *

Abandoning all pretenses of dignity, Kayano was now curled up into a tiny ball on the couch. Heat had spread to every corner of her body as she made various squeals of embarrassment. Everyone had just seen her most humiliating dramas. Nagisa had probably seen them multiple times… How could the situation get any worse?!

"And now, an exclusive interview with Child Prodigy Haruna Mase!"

_ Oh. That was one way.  _ Flinging herself across the room, Haruna Mase leapt in front of the TV like she was taking a bullet. Arms spread out wide, she blocked off the TV in a sad attempt to censor the screen. "No! I can't let you watch that!"

"Aw, come on, Haruna. It can't be worse than anything else we've seen." Karma's face had morphed back into its devilish grin. 

Kayano didn't move an inch, her short stature entirely devoted to blocking off as much of the screen as possible. "You don't understand! Back then, I was supposed to be this cutesy child actress, so everything I did was supposed to be adorable! If our friendship means anything to you, PLEASE don’t play that interview!”

“Hm...” Intentionally dragging out the sound to prolong her agony, Karma’s finger hovered over the play button. Suddenly, with an evil smirk, he brought his finger down. “It doesn’t.”

“NO!” With a frantic power born of desperation, Kayano rushed him down. Unfortunately for her, Karma was both taller and had longer arms. Holding the remote far above her grabbing arms, his smug expression only increased her efforts.

"Relax, superstar. Now that you're here, just tell us what you really think. Show us what you’re really like." For some curious reason, Karma lingered on that last sentence a few seconds longer. "Or do you want to disappoint your new fanclub?" Winking, he jabbed a thumb at her friends, all of whom were watching with bated breath.

Kayano's actress side tingled at those words. Letting out an indignant huff, she crossed her arms in frustration. "Fine… I guess it won't hurt if I answer the questions again."

* * *

Kayano had settled down next to a fully awake Nagisa. Silently observing her for any reactions, Karma couldn't help but compare the person on the screen with the actress in real life. For one, Mase was somehow shorter than Kayano. She seemed much more childlike, thought that was probably just her playing to type. Her hair was black, a stark contrast to Kayano's own emerald hair. The biggest difference, however, was in their eyes. For some odd reason, there was a spark of optimism in Mase's eyes that Karma had never seen in Kayano. 

_ So, Ms. Mase, let's start off with a simple question. What's it like, being the star of the newest blockbuster movie Sister Game?  _

_ It's great! The actors are nice, the scenes are fun to do, and I get to eat as much pudding as I want! _

Kayano shook her head. "It's all fun and pudding until you spend the entire week on a single scene because the director's super fussy."

Sugino frowned, disbelief etched onto his face. "A whole week?!"

"Yep. A whole week gone, just because the director wouldn't stop yelling at the actors to  _ put more soul into it _ , whatever that meant."

_ That's great! So, what can you tell us about being an actress? Is it hard?  _

_ It's not hard at all! All you have to do is pretend really hard, and you're ready! _

"Jeez, Terasaka should be an actor then, the way you describe it. His tough guy act's worth at least a few awards." Much to everyone's surprise, it was Sugino who said that, not Karma. The devil made a mental note to try that remark out on Terasaka when he got the chance.

"I told you younger me was stupid… Being an actor or actress is more than just pretending." Snapping into focus, Kayano's face shone with an energy none of them had seen before. "You have to fully embrace your character, forgetting everything about yourself. For the moments when you must act, you have to fully believe you are the character you're playing. Their feelings are your feelings. Their hurts are your hurts. Every thought, belief, and action must be- KARMA! I didn't say you could record me!"

"Calm down, Ms. Mase. Your speech was so amazing, I just had to save it. I'm almost convinced to give up my dreams and become an actor." Sarcasm dripped out of every syllable in that sentence. 

"Kami help us all if Karma gets a fanbase…" Sugino shivered, imagining hordes of miniature Karmas terrorizing Japan.

"We'd run out of Wasabi, that's for sure." Nagisa deadpanned, also dreading the thought of a Karma fandom.

_ Finally, before the interview closes, I'm sure your thousands of fans want to know. Rumors of a secret relationship with Takeuchi Tadashi have begun to spread. What can you say about these "Tadamase" shippers? _

_ I don't know about all that… I only love one person, and that's my big sister Aguri! Hi, Aguri! _

"So, let me guess… That part's faked to make you look cute?"

"Nope! I actually went off-script for that one. The manager wanted me to just tease them about it, but I couldn't resist. Seeing Aguri's face when I got home made the manager's scolding worth it!" 

Kanzaki spoke softly, her eyes filled with pity. "You two were close, weren't you?"

"Very close…" A remorseful sigh escaping her, Kayano's eyes turned dull and remote. "I wish I could have seen her one last time…"

Karma's followup taunt died in his throat. Seeing what used to be his friend look so fragile… He couldn't bring himself to launch his plan. Bitterly, Karma clenched his fist. She didn't deserve this kind of pity from him, not after what she had done.  _ So why can't I bring myself to attack? _

"... There's something I want to show you all. I'll be right back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The first version of this chapter got deleted thanks to an internet malfunction. Isn't that great?
> 
> As I'm sure you've all noticed, part two of the story's going to focus more on the Akari side of Kayano, and in particular her backstory. If you want extra hints on how the story's gonna go, might want to rewatch those scenes. This chapter's mostly a bit of fluff, to balance out the dark tones of the earlier two chapters. No foreshadowing to later events here, no sir! 
> 
> Next up: We're reminded of an old teacher.
> 
> (Side note: Since nobody's said anything in terms of criticism last chapter, I'll just assume I'm doing OK! Criticism of any kind is always welcome, though!)


	10. Pictures

_Akari Yukimura is the sister of Aguri Yukimura._

The atmosphere of the room had dulled. Rubbing his eyes awake, Nagisa couldn't help but wonder at Karma's actions, or rather his lack of them. After Aguri had been mentioned, Karma had gone completely silent. Whether the silence was respect to Aguri or Kayano, sadness for her loss, or just another scheme in his masterplan, Nagisa didn’t know. One thing was abundantly clear, though: Karma was disturbed. 

The sudden creaking of the door caught Nagisa's attention. Clutching a pink square in her hands, Kayano meekly entered the room. She hesitated for a brief moment, then dropped it down on the table in front of them.

"A scrapbook?" Peeking from behind her glasses, Okuda tilted her head in confusion.

Nodding briefly, Kayano let out a bashful grin. "Staying home alone gets boring, so I thought I'd try it. I got the idea after seeing Koro-Sensei’s photo albums.”

Curiosity stirred, Nagisa decided to approach her casually. "Is it OK if we take a look?"

Kayano gave him a strange look. "I wouldn't have brought it here if I didn't want to show you all, silly." Setting it down on the table, she decisively flipped it open, revealing a treasure trove of glitter and pictures. 

* * *

The first half of the scrapbook was dedicated to all the pictures Kayano could find of Aguri. Carefully set in pink pages and held in place with cute stickers, all the photos were carefully arranged according to date.

Nagisa' eyes were drawn to the first picture on the left. Standing in front of a strange grey building were three figures. To the left was a person Nagisa recognized as Yukimura-Sensei, her short hair and fashion sense giving her away. In the middle, what seemed to be Akari beamed at the camera, eyes wide with excitement. To the right, however, was a man Nagisa didn't recognize. He was a short man, black hair and yellow eyes perfectly matching both Aguri and Akari's own. Mouth curved into a wide smile, he proudly stood next to the other two figures in the photo. Written on the bottom was the caption _First day of Shooting!_

Inquisitive blue eyes narrowed at the sight of the picture. Pointing a finger at the mysterious man, Sugino vocalized the question on everybody’s minds. "Who is that beside Yukimura-Sensei?" 

Kayano pursed her lips. Shifting uncomfortably, her gaze turned to meet the floor. "That's my dad...Kumagai Yukimura."

Mercury eyes snapped back to focus. A single eyebrow raised, Karma’s tone was carefully measured. "I've never heard you talk about him before. What happened to him?"

"He… didn't take Aguri's death well…" Once again, Kayano’s face fell. Crossing her arms, her gaze continued to rest on the floor. "I mean, I took it worse, but neither of us really knew what to do… I haven't seen him since last year."

"Uh… Sorry I brought it up.” Sugino laughed nervously. Sensing an undercurrent of sadness in her tone, he immediately seized on the first distraction he could find. “Hey, why don't you tell us about that picture instead?"

This time, only Aguri and Akari were in frame. They seemed to be at a costume party, judging by the strange choice of clothes Aguri had chosen for herself. Clad in eye-wateringly bright colors, the teacher was the equivalent of a walking kaleidoscope. A plastic crown and novelty glasses added on to the look of utter chaos that was Aguri. Edging away from her, Akari looked embarrassed just to be seen with her.

The memory was a happy one, judging from the way Kayano had begun giggling. Stifling one last laugh, she couldn’t wipe away the small smile on her face. "Oh, that was when Aguri and I went clothes shopping… I kept telling her to get something normal, but she really wanted to try all that. Aguri always had the weirdest fashion sense." Kayano explained, much to everyone else's confusion. _Clothes shopping?!_

Relieved by the mood shift, Sugino let out his held breath. "Yeah, no kidding. Anyone else remember when she wore that weird stomach shirt to school?"

"I do. It was rather… unusual, wasn't it?" Covering her mouth with her hand, Kanzaki tittered at the memory of the shirt. 

Shocked, Kayano glared at everyone in the room."Eh?! She actually wore that to school? I thought she was just joking!"

"Yu-Yukimura-Sensei was… really something." Okuda summed up everyone’s thoughts in one quick sentence.

Shaking her head in amused disbelief, Kayano flipped the page. Moving on to the next picture, her breath suddenly stopped. Intrigued by her reaction, Nagisa peeked down at the scrapbook. The Yukimura family were at a restaurant this time. Clustered around a fancy table, Akari, Aguri, and their father were all excitedly grinning at the camera. Triumphantly holding a piece of paper up to the sky, Aguri seemed to be the most excited of the trio. None of them could make out the fine print on the paper, though.

Seeing everyone's heads turn towards the picture, Kayano prompted her explanation. "This was when Aguri finally got accepted into teaching at Kunugigaoka. Believe it or not, getting hired as a teacher there's incredibly tough."

“We believe it.” Everyone chorused, knowing Gakuhou's obsession with control.

“Oh.” Momentarily caught off balance, Kayano was silent for a few seconds. Stumbling over her thoughts, she decided to push on anyways. “Still, you have no idea what she went through. Getting past the first interview was the easy part. After that came the endless trial runs, tests, and follow-up interviews. Sometimes she’d come home late at night, just because of all the training Asano was putting her through.” Kayano cracked a smile. “That’s why the day she finally got accepted was one of the most important days in her life. We all ate out to celebrate… I can’t believe 2 years have passed since then.”

"Two years?" Nagisa asked, secretly writing down the information. 

"Yes… You were Aguri’s second batch. From what I’ve heard, her first class didn’t end well.”

"I guess it makes sense. We could see that she tried her hardest in all the subjects she taught.” Kanzaki spoke off-handedly, deep in recollections.

Sugino nodded in confirmation. "Yep! She was even going to visit Karma after class after hearing he got suspended."

Karma gave a nonchalant shrug. "Not that it would have helped much. I'd have probably just waited in my room until she left."

"W-Wait!" Eyes wide open in shock, Okuda stared directly at the miscreant. "Karma, you do that too?!" Karma nodded, a small grin spreading across his face.

"That actually reminds me of something Aguri did a few years ago!" Skipping a few pages ahead, Kayano pointed at another picture. "Aguri and I were…"

* * *

The time flew by swiftly. Lost in an endless haze of memories, the group went from photo to photo. Swiftly scribbling down anything he could, Nagisa silently marveled at how entranced everyone had become. Storytelling was an art, and Kayano had mastered it thoroughly. _She's an actress, after all._ Nagisa realized with a jolt. It was her job to tell stories, after all.

Before any of them had realized it, the seemingly endless supply of memories had dwindled, then stopped completely. "Well, I guess that's it… No more stories left to tell." Shrugging in feigned disappointment, Kayano began to close the scrapbook.

"Hey, wait a moment… What's this?" Sugino pointed at the next section of the scrapbook. There, written in comically sparkly glitter, were the words _KUNUGIGAOKA MEMORIES 2015._ Before Kayano could react, Sugino had already flipped the scrapbook open again.

"Ah, wait. Maybe you shouldn-"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Sugino had turned pale, his irises shrinking with shock. Karma, on the other hand, was sporting an incredibly wide grin. Curious to see what had provoked such a reaction, Nagisa peeked over his shoulder. Almost immediately, his own heart skipped several beats. _Hayami’s cat photo, Kataoka’s princess costume, Mimura playing Air-Guitar… Koro-Sensei’s stolen photos?!_ Nagisa’s eyes weren’t deceiving him. Plastered onto the pages were all of Koro-Sensei's embarrassing photos, each lovingly framed and with a small caption added to it. "Where did you even get these?!"

"I… may have taken a stack or two of Koro-Sensei's photos while you were all busy ripping them apart."

"But why?! I trusted you!"

"And that was your first mistake." Bending down to look through the photos, Karma drew the pitcher’s attention to one in particular. "Hey, this one's pretty good." It was a picture of Sugino freakishly ramming into a wall after receiving some Valentine’s Day chocolates. Instantly, Sugino's hand darted to rip out the picture.

Unfortunately for him, Kayano had retained both her spatial vision and her assassin's reflexes. Snatching the scrapbook away, she gave Sugino a death glare. "I spent a lot of time on this scrapbook! Don't just rip out pictures randomly!"

"Sorry…" Sugino muttered.

Hesitantly, Nagisa tapped Kayano on the shoulder. "Hey, Kayano… Why did you keep all these pictures of us, anyways?"

Awkwardly scratching the back of her head, Kayano gave them all a small smile. "I… I just wanted a way to remember you all."

"Well, can't you remember us with better pictures?" Sugino sweatdropped. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. Taking out his phone, he quickly motioned everyone to cluster together. "C'mon! Let's give Kayano something to remember us by!"

Holding his phone up, Sugino motioned to everyone to do a pose first. With his free hand, he gave the phone a big thumbs up. Kanzaki followed suit, raising her hands in double V-signs. Nagisa and Okuda didn't pose, choosing instead to just smile for the camera. At the back of the shot, Karma showed off his signature smirk, miming a gun with his fingers. And in the middle of it all was Kayano, grinning as brightly as she possibly could. In her eyes was a spark of joy she had long believed to be extinguished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a disappointing lack of Aguri/Akari bonding fanfics out there... It's a shame, isn't it?
> 
> Normally I'd talk about why this chapter's a bit late, but I'm sure you can all guess the reason by now. (Responsibilities, work, school, you've heard it all before.) Instead, have my thoughts on the chapter!
> 
> Kayano being sentimental is a small facet of her character that doesn't get explored too often, but it's still one of the traits we can be sure is real, thanks to her actions post-tentacles. Keeping a scrapbook doesn't seem too OOC, so I thought I'd try and show off some memories that may or may not be important in the near future. I've got more I want to talk about, but I think I'll save my thoughts on those things for later. (I may have run out of ways to say the word smile during this chapter. Just thought it was funny.)
> 
> Next up: The calm before the storm.


	11. Rainfall

Pouring down onto the city streets, the rain blanketed the world in a gray shroud. Sheltering under the roof of a bus stop, both Karma and Okuda silently waited for the bus to arrive. Absentmindedly, Karma listened to the pattering of raindrops on plastic, thoughts filled with the revelations of the past few hours.

"Is now a good time, Karma?" Dressed in a shimmering purple raincoat, Okuda spoke quietly. Her voice barely made it above the downpour's racket. 

"A good time for what?" Slightly confused, Karma raised a single eyebrow. Casually studying her actions, he could sense that she was anxious, more anxious than usual.

“Back during the performance, you said you didn’t want to disturb me… The play’s over, so we can talk… right?”

The words lingered in the cold air for a few moments as Karma pieced together the puzzle. _Ah._ He was hoping she would have forgotten about it by now, but unfortunately not. Delaying the inevitable, he deflected the topic with a tease. "My, my. Awfully inquisitive today, aren't you, Okuda?"

Eyes widening, Okuda unconsciously took a step back, putting her dangerously close to the downpour. Averting her gaze, she stared out into the empty road. "A-Ah! I'm sorry if I overstepped."

Softening his look, Karma motioned for her to return. Sometimes he forgot just how nervous Okuda could be, especially when talking about something she was unsure about. "It’s all right. I'm just curious to see why you're so insistent about this."

"It's just… I'm worried about you, Karma." Edging back into the waiting shed, she stopped a few feet away from him. Staring from his spot, Karma was made acutely aware of just how small she seemed. "You seem so quiet lately. Like you're thinking about something that worries you."

"There's no need for that, Okuda. I'll be fine."

Okuda wasn't convinced. Coming closer, only a few inches separated the two of them now. Dully, Karma took note of Okuda's raincoat, drops of water shimmering off it's surface. "You promised. You said we'd talk about this after the play."

"I did, didn't I? Now's as good a time as any, I guess." Turning away, Karma stared up into the overcast skies. The rain didn't show any signs of ceasing. "Do you remember our test of courage?"

"That time when Koro-Sensei tried to play matchmaker? I-I remember."

"Do you remember what I told you back then?"

"You were afraid of not being afraid, correct?"

Karma nodded, his face still turned away from her. "Back then, it was just Nagisa I was scared of. But as time passed, I started getting more and more afraid. Our grinning yellow teacher had killed hundreds in his past life. The silly pudding lover was secretly plotting behind all our backs. All of us could easily kill each other… Even you, my dear chemist. One prick of a needle and I'd be dead."

Suddenly, he felt two clammy hands grip his arm. Turning around, golden eyes met amethyst ones as their gazes collided. Stunned, Karma could see the earnestness in her eyes as she stared him down. "But I wouldn't do that! Y-You know that, right?".

Gently pulling on her wrist, Karma slowly unlatched her grip. Thinking for a moment, his answer wavered in the wind, a rarity for him. "I know. I trust you, Poison Glasses. Can’t really say the same for everyone else, though.”

Armed with this new piece of information, the pieces of the puzzle fell together in the chemist’s mind. _His tension back at the mall… His silence after Kayano left the room…_ “Y-You don’t trust Kayano, don't you?"

The silence was Karma's answer. Both of them stopped speaking, leaving the pouring of the rain to fill the void between them. For a few dreadful minutes, only the howling of the wind was left to shatter the silence.

Carefully measured, Karma's voice gave no hint of his current emotions. "Do you know what it feels like to be betrayed?"

"N-no…" For unknown reasons, dread began to grow within her.

Suddenly, the grip on her wrist tightened. "Would you like to?" Bloodlust surging, Karma's grin was filled with a sadistic glee. His eyes were wild, twin balls of fire. Terror filling Okuda, she could only watch as the sadist trapped her in place. "It would be so easy. So many weaknesses I could exploit… So many ways to make you scream."

"K-Karma…" She was visibly trembling now. Eyes wide open in a shocked fear, fright had frozen her into place. Suddenly, the chill of the wind seemed tame in comparison to the icy pit in her stomach.

Seeing her so terrified, Karma couldn’t keep up the charade. In the blink of an eye, the bloodlust dissipated, swiftly replaced with a regretful worry. Quickly dropping her wrist, Karma looked at her directly in the eye. His tone was soft as he spoke. “Are you OK, Okuda?” 

She was still shaking, both from the chill outside and the terror running down her spine. "Y-y-you scared me…" She mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I took it too far." Peeking closely, he double-checked her wrist. It was fine, no visible marks on it. He had made sure not to grip her too tight. _I have to make sure, though._ "Did I hurt you?"

"No…" Shaking off the shivers, the scientist looked up at her companion. "B-But why?" Concern overtaking any fears she might have had, Okuda patiently waited for him to speak. Physically, the two of them were only a few steps away from each other. _But why does it feel like he's so far away?_

"You needed to feel it to understand. Betrayal." Digging his hands deeper into his cardigan, Karma stared straight down, watching the raindrops shatter against the concrete. "For a moment, you felt shocked, didn't you? Like someone had taken the breath out of your lungs." The rain was intensifying, a deluge of water pouring down from above. "After that comes the chill down your spine, when you realize they could have turned on you at any time." The bitter gales blew through them, chilling both of them with it's icy touch. "Then the anger, knowing how easily they tricked you. How easily they let you believe." Thunder boomed in the background, as flashes of light tore through the skies above them. "Eventually, you learn to live with it." Eyes as cold as the tempest around them, Karma's grin was hollow. "Which makes the next betrayal hurt so much more."

Suddenly, a blunt force slammed into him, knocking the wind out of his chest. Wrapping her arms around him, Okuda had hugged him as hard as she could. "I… I don't want you to feel like that anymore! I'll help you get over it, anyway I can!"

"Ah…" Stunned by the sudden display of affection, Karma could only shake his head. _You forgive far too easily for your own good, Okuda._ "Thank you." Accepting the hug, both of them relished in each other's warmth.

* * *

Compared to the biting temperatures outside, both Karma and Okuda much preferred the gentle chill of the bus interior. Dully, Karma observed the raindrop patterns as they hammered the glass windows. Sitting beside him, Okuda fiddled with the inside of her bag for several minutes.

Suddenly, her mind made itself up. Taking a paper from her bag, she handed it to Karma without a word. Absentmindedly taking the scrap of paper, Karma glanced at it with mild interest. It seemed to be an advertising flyer, offering great deals for medicines at… "Yukimura Pharmaceuticals?" Senses jolted, he quickly scanned the paper, memorizing everything he could.

Seeing the confusion on his face, Okuda quickly explained herself. "I used to buy my ingredients from them, until they shut down. I hope it helps you somehow…"

Nodding, the investigator carefully tucked the paper into his pocket. "You're full of surprises, aren't you? Thanks."

"Y-You're welcome. B-But I have something I want in return…" Her voice barely rose above a whisper.

Curious, Karma's mouth tilted into an encouraging smile. ""After all the favors you've done me, I guess I can't say no. What do you want?"

"I… I want you to give Kayano a second chance!" Unable to hold it in any longer, Okuda's voice had a desperate edge to it. Regarding her carefully, Karma could see that she had been mustering her courage for some time now. "You're both my friends… please don't make me choose between you two."

Resolve growing within him, Karma decided quickly. "I won't."

* * *

Bonus Scene:

Thankful not to be caught in the downpour, both Sugino and Kanzaki were biding their time in a nearby cafeteria. Carrying a tray with two cups on it, Sugino carefully set it down on the table. "Here we go! One cup of Green Tea for you, and one cup of Hot Chocolate for me!"

"Thank you." Smiling thankfully, Kanzaki carefully took the cup into her hands. Sipping gently, she stared outside at the raging tempest. "Do you think the others will be fine?"

Gulping down a steaming cup of chocolate, Sugino shrugged. "Nagisa should be fine, he doesn't live too far away from Kayano. I'm more worried about Okuda and Karma… Sure hope they make it back safely."

Kanzaki nodded in agreement. Thoughtfully, she took another long sip of tea while looking outside at the skies. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like, if Yukimura-Sensei hadn't died?"

"Sometimes. After hearing Kayano's stories, two weeks just seems like so little time to get to know her. After all that effort, too…"

"But if she hadn't died, we wouldn't have met Koro-Sensei and had all those adventures, right?"

Conceding the point, Sugino shrugged. Suddenly, a flash of thunder shook the atmosphere, startling the two. "How are you planning to get home in this weather?"

"My mother's coming to pick me up in her car." Frowning in concern, she raised a single eyebrow. "How about you?"

Grinning a daredevil's grin, Sugino shrugged. "Me? Oh, I'll just run to the nearest bus stop. A little rain never hurt anyone!"

"I feel like that's more than a little rain, though." As if to prove her point, the rain started striking the earth with a vengeance. "You should come with us. We wouldn't mind dropping you off at your house."

A small blush on his face, Sugino put up both his hands in defense. "There's no need to trouble yourself! I'll just change clothes when I get home, it's no big deal."

"You're a much better friend than gentleman, Sugino." Shaking her head in amused exasperation, Kanzaki watched as a car pulled over into the parking lot. "You'll be riding with us to your home. It's impolite to let a friend get soaked in the rain, after all."

"But-!"

"No buts." Cutting him off with a curt gesture, Kanzaki stood up as if ready to leave. "Besides, doesn't this give us more time to talk?" 

Out of options and excuses, Sugino conceded defeat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a Nagikae fanfic? Ah well.
> 
> So, I was heavily debating on whether or not to call this an interlude chapter or not. On one hand, interlude chapters were designed to be somewhat skippable, or "bonus" chapters, and this chapter has some heavy implications for the rest of the story. But on the other hand, it doesn't feature Kayano or Nagisa at all... In the end, I decided it didn't matter too much.
> 
> In terms of characterization, all I can say is that thanks to the cave scene, we know that Karma trusts Okuda enough to confide in. Considering the trust issues he's displayed in the past, that's a pretty big deal. The scare tactic might have been a bit OOC on my end, though. Sorry about that.
> 
> (Side note: A thousand hits, huh? I'd just like to say thanks for that. I won't drag it out too much, but just know I'm happy people are reading this! So, thanks!)


	12. Investigation

_Today was… unexpected._ Settling into his bus seat, Nagisa watched as the sun slowly crawled it’s way up the buildings. The skies were blue, but clouds from yesterday’s storm still lingered in the air. What was he doing on a bus so early in the morning? For reasons Karma had yet to explain, he had somehow acquired a flyer for the Yukimura business. One late night call later, and the two of them had quickly arranged a trip to see what clues they could find.

Shifting nervously in his seat, Nagisa wondered what he would see when they arrived. A massive conglomerate and corporation? A simple store with medicines on the shelves? Or something unimaginable, housing dark tentacle-related secrets? Whatever awaited them, Nagisa hoped Kayano's father wouldn't be too hard to track down.

Karma wasn't nearly as nervous as Nagisa, judging by the casual way he was playing on his 3DS. Seated right next to him, the schemer casually destroyed yet another AI opponent in his game. Glancing over to his sleep-deprived friend, he mimed taking a short nap. "It'll be awhile before we arrive. Maybe you should sleep for a bit."

"No need. I wasn't planning on sleeping anyways." With comedic timing, the stifled yawn on his end instantly proved him wrong. 

"You're still dreaming, huh?"

The dreamer nodded. "It's nothing, really. Everyone's had bad dreams before, right?"

With a sigh of annoyance, Karma paused his game. "Sure you're not going to tell me what's keeping you up at night?"

Nagisa shook his head dismissively. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Well, I tried asking nicely. I'm calling in my favour." As if to accentuate his point, Karma overdramatically snapped his 3DS shut, startling the poor boy to attention.

"What favour?!"

"Don't you remember? I said I'd help you out on our little mission in exchange for a favour, right?"

 _That's right._ Nagisa did owe him a favor, after enlisting his help for their investigations. Realizing just how badly he'd been outplayed, Nagisa made a mental note never to offer Karma any more favours. "Fine… What do you want?"

"Oh, it's just a simple thing. Just be completely honest for the rest of the bus trip." Two devil horns sprouted on top of the trickster's head. Shivering slightly, Nagisa could sense that Karma was going to have more fun toying with him than with the 3DS. "Or would you rather drink the truth serum instead?"

Faced with the choice of potential embarrassment or having to drink expired chemicals, Nagisa decided to bite the bullet. "All right, fine. What do you want to know about?"

"Let's hear about these dreams. What's keeping you up at night?"

"I don't get it… Why are you so interested? I already told you they're just dreams."

"What, I'm not allowed to be concerned for my best friend? Tsk, Tsk, Nagisa. I thought we were closer than that." He tried to play it off as just a taunt, but Nagisa could sense that more lay behind those words than simple joking. 

"You just want more blackmail on me…" Shaking his head, Nagisa let out a small smile. "It's hard to explain. The dream's always something different, everytime." Staring out into the rapidly shifting landscape, both boys watched as buildings and houses flew past them. "Last night, it was a rooftop, with spotlights shining everywhere. The night before, a burning field of grass. Sometimes it's a watery floor, and sometimes it's nothing but hard dirt. One thing never changes, though."

"One thing?"

"It always ends with someone attacking me. Takaoka, Reaper, The False god of Death… Kayano…"

"Kayano as well, huh?" Dropping his devil-may-care attitude, Karma was observing him with a strange expression Nagisa couldn't place.

"Yeah…" _Maybe it was a mistake to tell him that._

Karma's expression shifted, a guarded curiosity filling in his features "You know, there's something I should have asked you a long time ago. When faced with danger, the rational response is to flee, correct?" Nagisa nodded, unsure of where this was headed. "So why is it that you haven't run away from Kayano? Staying around her after she admitted to using us all as pawns… Doesn't she scare you, Nagisa?" The questions hung above them both like a deadly weight, ready to fall at any time.

"No." The answer was hesitant, as if he had second guessed himself right after speaking.

"And that's why she's so dangerous." The distant sounds of thunder rumbled in the sky, though no rain fell. "As much as I hate to admit it, she's convinced us all that she's our friend. And maybe, right now, she really is. But what happens when she decides she doesn't need us anymore?" Exhaling, Karma let out a deep sigh. "All I'm saying is that Kayano's a risk. Are you really willing to take that risk?"

"Yes." Nagisa fervently wished he sounded more confident than he felt, but the amused look on Karma’s face quickly dashed any hopes of that. 

"And they say I'm the daredevil of us two." Karma chuckled at the irony, his eyes filled with mirth. "Look at you, taking unnecessary risks head on. You really have changed, huh?"

"I don’t think it’s unnecessary…" Nagisa muttered, in a lame attempt at self-defense.

"Keep telling yourself that, Romeo." Reverting back to his mischievous persona, Karma began sifting through his bag. "Now that we've settled that, it's time for the next question." Like a magician endlessly pulling on a handkerchief chain, Karma began pulling a comically long list of questions from his bag.

"... How many questions did you write on that list?"

"Enough for a three hour bus ride." Karma's grin held a manic tint to it, which contrasted greatly with Nagisa's own exasperated look. "And you're answering every single one of them."

* * *

"You seriously preferred the sequel to the original?"

"Sonic Ninja 3 is a masterpiece, as well as a perfect conclusion to the movie series! How can I not love it?"

"You have horrible taste in both friends and movies." Before Nagisa could defend his movie choices, the bus rumbled to a sudden stop. Taking a quick peek outside the window, Karma motioned for both of them to get off. "Here's our stop. Are you ready to finally meet the elusive Yukimura Senior?"

* * *

Hidden deep in the suburban slums, an abandoned store sat idly, lost to the ravages of time. Glass door barred under rusted lock and chain, the storefront was covered under innumerable layers of dust. Wiping away some of the dirt off the glass windows, Karma tried to peek into the store. The inside was more of the same, except covered in cobwebs as well. Even the street it was located in was abandoned, with nobody but the two of them within visible eyeshot. "No good… I don't think anyone's been here for a while."

"I guess that makes sense. Yukimura Pharmaceuticals was supposed to be under the verge of collapse, right?" Truthfully, Nagisa had no idea what he expected on arrival. While he admitted it was foolish of him to expect the drugstore to be unchanged after all that time, he was still hoping for a few clues at least. He certainly wasn't expecting a complete dead end.

"Maybe we should have thought of that before taking a three hour bus trip to the middle of nowhere." Sarcasm masking his extreme disappointment, Karma made a futile search for any sort of identification. No good. If not for the flyer, nobody could have guessed that the place used to be a drugstore.

"Yeah… I guess we should have done our research first." Scratching the back of his head, Nagisa's hand instinctively went to his pocket for his notepad. Instead of the familiar feel of binders, however, he found nothing but empty space. _Strange… It must be in my bag._

The sudden snapping of fingers broke Nagisa’s train of thought. Suddenly energized, Karma sent off a quick message on his phone. Before Nagisa could ask, a cheery voice suddenly popped out. “Ritsu here! Karma, you called?”

"Yep. Ritsu, could you search for…” Karma’s voice trailed off, as both investigators realized they never memorized the full name. “Nagisa, what's the name of Kayano's father again?" 

"Wait, let me check my notes." After digging through his bag, Nagisa's face suddenly turned a curious shade of pale white. "I… I think I lost my notepad. It’s not in my bag."

"Should I ask Kayano? It'll only take a few seconds." Ritsu’s virtual hand was already on the phone icon. One quick push and all their secrecy would be for naught.

"NO!" Both of them chorused in perfect sync. Recovering his composure first, Nagisa let out a nervous laugh. "I mean… We want to surprise her? Er...Could you search up the head of Yukimura Pharmaceuticals instead?"

"Roger that! Searching… The head of Yukimura Pharmaceuticals is Tagawa Kou!"

"Tagawa Kou?" Forehead wrinkling in thought, Karma took a few seconds to formulate a follow-up question. "Ritsu, is there anyone on the Yukimura records with the name of Yukimura?"

"Searching…" Ritsu's background shifted to question marks as she simulated confusion. "No results found?"

 _That doesn't make any sense…_ Continuing his triple-check for the missing notepad, Nagisa considered the possibilities. _Kayano couldn't have lied about this too, since she was under the tentacles' influence. Someone must have changed the company records. But the only ones who would be interested in changing those would be…_

Nagisa's eyes widened. Head turning wildly, he saw Karma had reached the same conclusion. "Ritsu, could you contact Karasuma-Sensei right now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd suggest revisiting the prologue to this story. Not as innocent as we once thought, huh?
> 
> Originally, this chapter was going to have the boys meet with Kayano's dad, Kumagai Yukimura. However, since I really don't like putting OCs in the spotlight, I decided against it. Because of this, the chapter went through some rewrites, which took an extra day. Sorry! (It's about time I was finally able to use the blurb in the actual story... I was beginning to worry I wouldn't find a place to put it.)
> 
> Next chapter's hint: The best way to find something is to remember where you last put it. Best hope someone else doesn't find it first, though!


	13. Disclosure

Sunbeams shining through the windows, morning had imposed itself upon a very unwilling Kaede Kayano. Mumbling to herself, the sleeper pulled the blanket over her head, desperately trying to recapture the peaceful sleep she was enjoying. Unfortunately for her, the spell had been broken. 

Grumbling, Kayano pulled herself up from her bed. Stretching her arms, the young girl yawned widely, shaking off the drowsiness that still clung on to her. Gradually, her hearing adjusted to the silence all around her. Compared to the rumbling of last night's storms, today was a peaceful day. Not quite a perfect day, from how a few grey clouds continued to stay in the sky, but a peaceful day nonetheless. _Speaking of today…_ Today she needed to clean up the mess from yesterday's visit. She couldn't put it off forever, after all. Pulling herself up from the bed, Kayano dragged herself into the living room.

The living room was a lot messier than she remembered. Pillows, blankets, and other cushions had been scattered all across the room, as well as several pudding cups that she vaguely remembered eating after everyone had left. Suddenly, a glint of blue caught her eye. There, half buried under the clutter, a blue notepad lay innocently. Kayano recognized that notepad: It was the same one Nagisa used to document Koro-Sensei's weaknesses.

Surely it wouldn't hurt to take a small peek, right?

* * *

Firmly grasping the cellphone, Karma didn't hesitate. One swift tap on the phone was all it took for the call to go through. In wordless agreement, both partners stood side by side, waiting for whatever new discoveries they might find. 

They wouldn't have to wait long. Before the phone had even rung once, Karasuma-Sensei had already picked up. "What is it? Are any of you injured? I can send aid over in a few minutes.”

Confusion flared within Nagisa. "W-wha? No, no, we're completely fine! We just wanted to ask you a few questions." _We wouldn’t call him unless it was serious… Of course he thought we were in danger._

"Hm." Karasuma's voice faded away for a few seconds, as he took in the new information. His intensity quickly dissipated, replaced with a stoic calm. "Very well, then. What do you need to know?"

"Do you know anything about Yukimura Pharmaceuticals? We were-"

"That's classified information." Karasuma very bluntly cut off Nagisa. Sneakily tapping his fellow investigator on the shoulder, Karma motioned towards the phone. _It looks like he has a plan._ Surrendering the phone, Nagisa trusted his partner’s judgement.

"We're part of Class 3-E. Surely you wouldn't want us to let out a valuable government secret, right?" Karma drawled softly, his voice holding a dangerous edge to it. Shrugging off Nagisa’s horrified look, the daredevil showed no signs of backing off. To him, this was merely the next gamble in a long line of calculated gambits. The speaker went silent for a few seconds, either in contemplation of the demand or sheer incredulity. 

While Karasuma's phone line remained dead, Nagisa shot a pointed glare at the negotiator. "Isn't this a bit too risky?”

"You know how I work, Nagisa. All you have to do is apply the right pressure, and…" Right on time, Karma's phone buzzed with a notification. A file had been sent through Ritsu straight from the government. "Bingo. Now then… Let's see what we can find."

* * *

Holding the notepad in her hands, a twang of guilt briefly passed through Kayano. It felt strange to look through his notepad like this, almost like an intrusion of privacy. Frowning, she immediately shook off the thought. Nagisa had always been ready to share the notepad for any assassination plots they might have had. What made this any different? Kayano was certain: If Nagisa were here, he wouldn't have any issue with her reading the notepad.

Having convinced herself thoroughly, Kayano flipped the notepad open. No introductions or markings, the pages immediately leapt to the first weakness: _When he tries to look cool, his weaknesses show._

_This was after Koro-Sensei tied himself up, right?_ The memory of him screaming as he rolled away from their blades gave the former assassin a few chuckles. Laughing softly to herself, Kayano began flipping through the notepad. Tine began to fly past unheeded, as Kayano recalled long-gone days.

The notes, simple as they were, had triggered an outpouring of nostalgia within her. Her thoughts ran back to the few lucid moments she had experienced, moments untainted by the tentacle’s voices. From their first meeting with Koro-Sensei, to their trip to Kyoto, to the pudding killsplosion plan, and even to when she had finally awoken in a field of stars, saved and cradled by the ones she had deemed as mere pawns. Time had passed so swiftly after that, too swiftly for anybody to comprehend. The civil war had happened right after that, then the plan to save Koro-Sensei. Then Valentines, and the scrapbooking. After that came... _No_. Suppressing the memories of that last fateful night, Kayano instinctively flipped over to the next page.

What she saw next made her heart freeze over.

* * *

"Remember, this is all strictly confidential information. None of you are supposed to know anything about this." Karasuma’s voice came out yet again, no noticeable changes in tone. 

"Yes, sir." Parsing through the document, Nagisa's first thought was that it was surprisingly bare. Containing the transcript of an interrogation and a brief summary of their censorship procedures, the document barely passed two pages. "Karasuma-Sensei, is this the whole file?"

"No. Ritsu removed any details regarding the tentacle project, as per my request."

"That's fine. We don't need those, anyways." Karma searched through the document again, carefully cross-examining every single detail. Suddenly his eyes lit up, much like how they would light up when he had laid his hands on a juicy bit of blackmail. "Interesting. Kayano's father was arrested on the same day of the lab explosion.”

Frowning in confusion, Nagisa looked through the file again. From his cursory scan, there didn't seem to be any mention of Akari Yukimura. "What about Kayano? Is there anything on her there?"

The government agent spoke up, silencing the two. "After the arrest of Kumagai Yukimura, agents were dispatched to look for Akari Yukimura, but no trace of her was ever found. She was presumed missing until she revealed herself. I myself wasn't informed that Kumagai had a second daughter until after the incident."

Karma spoke next, his words laced with an unnerving chill. Shivering slightly, Nagisa could sense a growing temper within him. "She never tried to look for him? Never contacted any officials, or reported a missing person?”

"No. No departments ever reported anyone searching for Kumagai Yukimura."

His fury masked under a bitter laugh, the delinquent's hands were shaking. "So she left him for dead, huh?" The words weren't aimed at anyone, but Nagisa could still feel the bite within them. "That's all I need to know." Abruptly, Karma's finger slammed into his phone, ending the call. 

The two of them were now alone in the empty street.

* * *

 ~~_Kaede Kayano_ ~~ _Akari Yukimura_

Scribbled on the top of the page were both her names, one crossed out and scribbled over. Akari's sight only lingered on the briefest of seconds, right before turning her attention to the scrawls below. Unconsciously, her body slumped down on the nearest chair. 

There, lying before her like forbidden scriptures, were detailed notes all about her. All her actions, everything she had said before... It was all laid out in disheartening array. Filled with a morbid curiosity, her hand acted of it's own volition, flipping the pages. As much as she wanted to look away, her gaze was transfixed on the endless records. _Likes sweets, ~~Can't swim~~ , Sentimental... _Everything that Kaede Kayano was supposed to be was laid out in front of her.

Compared to his observations on Koro-Sensei, the notes were more disorganized. So many of the notes were crossed out, so many things they believed that she had tossed aside. _I made them believe so many lies…_ Seeing the consequences of her betrayal laid out before her, Kayano was made blindingly aware of just how close she was to losing the ones closest to her.

 _No… No! I can still fix this!_ Worry overtaking any rational thought, Kayano quickly sent out a message to Nagisa. There was still a chance of bringing it all back… right?

* * *

Eyes filled with a molten fury, Karma's grin betrayed a maddened rage. "Heh. That's funny, isn't it?" His voice was strained, like it could erupt at the slightest touch.

"Karma…" Cautiously, Nagisa took a step back. 

"All that talk of loving her family… Looks like it's just more lies. Why am I surprised? It's all she's ever done, _right?_ " A deathly rage concealed the shock he felt. Fires igniting within him, Karma stood still, as if remembering a long-banished memory. 

"That's enough. We haven't even heard her side." In contrast to the flames before him, Nagisa maintained his facade of casual calm. This had always been the difference between the two. While Karma was always ready to lash out at his foes, Nagisa kept his masquerade of normality at all times. At complete odds, their partnership was now on the verge of shattering.

"You're really sticking up for her, after all she's done? You really are a cocky idiot." Thunder rumbled in the overcast skies, as rain threatened to fall yet again. A flash of red struck Nagisa, causing him to stumble backwards. Faster than the eye could see, Karma had forcefully shoved him. "Don't act like she's innocent. Or is your brain too addled by her to remember what exactly she did to us?"

"I remember, Karma. I remember better than anybody." Standing against the inferno, Nagisa prepared to defend himself. His eyes were a misty blue, his mouth set in readiness. 

"Then why don't you prove it?" Another rough shove pushed Nagisa off balance. "You really think she's changed? Or are you just gonna kiss her again once she turns on you?"

Karma's hand darted out a third time. Neatly sidestepping it, Nagisa grabbed on to his wrist. His eyes glinted brightest blue for the faintest of seconds, before fading back to their regular hue. He had locked Karma's arm in place in one swift motion. "At least I'm willing to try. How about you? Did last year really mean nothing?"

Growling, Karma suddenly pulled back his arm. Easily breaking free, he stood at ease, ready to strike back. "Of course it meant something. That's what makes it hurt so much." The flames within flickered for just a moment, but reignited once again. "Don't pretend you haven't been hurt too. We both know you act just as much as her."

Raging flames clashing against cold ice, both Nagisa and Karma faced each other in the empty street. Both of them settled into a fighting stance, waiting for the other to make a move. For a few seconds, all the world seemed to freeze as the two stared each other down.

Nagisa's phone buzzed.

Keeping a single eye on his opponent, Nagisa quickly checked his phone. "It's from Kayano. She's asking me to meet her at the park tomorrow." Mustering all his composure, the assassin turned his back to Karma. His voice was hard, no shred of emotion within it. "I'm going to talk to her. Nothing's forcing you to join me." Without waiting for a reply, Nagisa turned heel, walking away stoically.

All around them, the sky rumbled ominously.

* * *

Bonus Scene:

"So, the day finally arrived, hm?" Offering a glass of water, Irina Jelavic sat beside her housemate. While Tadaomi Karasuma was always a difficult man to read, her past job involved nothing but reading men’s emotions. It was safe to say that she had developed a knack for it.

And right now, she could sense that he was tired. Taking a single gulp of the water, Karasuma firmly set the cup down on his desk. "Yes. Both Nagisa and Karma called me today, asking about Yukimura Pharmaceuticals. They will undoubtedly pass the information on to Kayano, one way or another.”

"You can't blame them, you know? They're young, curious, and have questions left unanswered. It was only a matter of time before they began looking for answers."

"Hm. You have a point." Mulling it over, Karasuma turned to his companion. "Perhaps you should visit Kayano. Emotional Support is not one of my strengths."

"Of course, dear~ Is there anything else you want me to do?~" 

"Yes." Bluntly, Karasuma handed her an official-looking document. "Finish your resume. Flirting with the interviewer does not count as a valid means of employment." Mollified, Irina took the resume back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It had to happen eventually.
> 
> Karma getting pissed at the thought of Akari abandoning her remaining family may seem weird, until you remember where his parents are. In the same way, Nagisa doesn't particularly mind, because he knows what it's like to have terrible parents. (Does ANYONE in Assassination Classroom have decent parents? Okajima doesn't count.)
> 
> Some of you may be wondering what happened to Kumagai Yukimura. That's a story for another time. 
> 
> Next up: =)


	14. Confrontation

The sun had dawned on a new day, bright and cheerful. A warm breeze blew through the park, bending the grasses in simple grace. Stirred by the touch of the winds, green leaves fluttered to the grassy floors below. The skies were clear, all storm clouds blown away. Underneath the boughs of a large tree, a young actress calmed her beating heart. Slung over her shoulder was a small pouch.

Kayano hoped against hope that the peaceful day was a good omen. Her breathing steady, the actress maintained her composure through years of practice. Ever so carefully, she ran through her script one last time. Each word must be perfect, every intonation precisely measured. Focusing again, she rehearsed the lines in her-

_CLAP_

Kayano nearly leaped off the hill in fright. Twirling rapidly, the first thing she saw were mischievous golden eyes. _Oh. It's just Karma._ Chuckling at her jumpy reaction, the prankster shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess there's more to it than just clapping. Oh well." Breaking into a friendly smile, Karma waved at her in greeting. "Nice to see you around. What are you doing here so early in the morning?" 

Instantly, the actress' face reddened at the question. Sinking back into old habits, she immediately decided to try and lie her way out of the situation. "I'm just enjoying the day! It's a beautiful day, right? Perfect for just relaxing! Yeah, I'm just relaxing!"

For a split second, a shadow passed through Karma's face, but it quickly disappeared. A sly smile on his face, he sidled up to her like a snake. "Are you sure? Because it almost seemed like you were waiting for someone..."

Her eyes widened: She knew she was caught. Awkwardly scratching her head, she did her best to explain the situation. "I… I wanted to talk to Nagisa about something. He's coming here." She went quiet for a few seconds, considering something. Deciding quickly, she faced her other friend. "Actually, could you stay too? I'd like you to hear what I have to say."

"Sure, sure. I guess I can spare a few hours." Leaning on the trunk of the tree, Karma absentmindedly toyed with a fallen leaf. "So, what's in the pouch?"

"It's… Well… I'll explain it all when Nagisa arrives." Kayano nervously tugged on her pigtails. The plan had to be perfect, for his sake.

"All right, fine. But I'm expecting a full disclosure when he arrives." He joked, but there was a tone in the joke that Kayano couldn't identify.

"I'll do my best to give you one."

* * *

Walking through the empty park, a blue wraith ambled through shade and sunlight. Sunshine warmed the wanderer, a welcome contrast from the cloudy day yesterday. Hands buried within his pockets, Nagisa wondered about what Kayano had in mind. 

_At least I won't have to wait long for an explanation_. He could see the hill where Kayano would be waiting. Waking from his thoughts, Nagisa scaled the gentle slopes to see both Kayano and Karma. _Warmth_ _. Green Grass._ His consciousness blurred for a split second, but Nagisa quickly suppressed it. One hand raised in greeting, he casually approached the two. "Hi there, Kayano, Karma. Did I make you two wait long?"

"Nah. We've only been here for a few minutes." Dropping the shredded leaves, Karma turned his head in greeting. A veil separated the two, preventing Nagisa from reading his emotions. Just as quickly as his vision locked on to him, it swept over to Kayano. "Well, he's here. You've got something to say, right?"

"Hi, Nagisa… We've been seeing each other a lot recently, huh?" Letting out all her nervousness in one breath, she faced both members of her audience. Her pigtails swayed in the wind, her eyes glimmering with determination. "Before I begin, I need you both to promise me something. Promise me that you'll both listen to me, just this once."

"We promise." _Focused stare._ The memories were slowly inching their way to the surface. For a split second, the morning sky turned dark as midnight. Shaking himself, Nagisa struggled to keep his thoughts in check. 

"Thank you." Taking out her pouch, she hesitated for a second. Then, pushing past her doubts, she pulled out a blue square from her pouch. _My Notepad_ , Nagisa realized with a jolt. Almost instantly, a flurry of questions ran through his mind, weighing heavily on his already heavy consciousness. Before any of his questions could be verbalized, Kayano had already begun speaking again. "When I first came to E-Class, my only goal was revenge for my sister. I didn't know that I would have met wonderful friends like you. But slowly, as time passed, you all started to grow closer to me. Despite everything... I began to care for you all. But the tentacles always held me back, no matter how much I wanted to reveal myself. After I lost my tentacles, I thought it was all over. That you all knew who I really was. A part of me wanted to believe that I could finally be with you all, that we could see truly see each other for the first time. I didn't know... I didn't know what my acting had done." She faltered for a moment. "I know you can't trust who I am… So can we start over? We can have a fresh start, with no more lies or acting." 

In one smooth motion, she pulled off her pigtails, letting her green hair cascade down her back. _Green hair._ Putting on the biggest, brightest smile she could, Akari Yukimura stuck her hand out in greeting. "Hi! My name is Akari Yukimura. Can we be friends?"

 _Akari Yukimura._ Those words were the last straw. His mental barriers shattered, the memories began to replay yet again.

_Grass. Green grass. Green hair. Black eyes. Hate. Bloodlust._

* * *

Waiting under the shade of the tree, Karma stood on the sidelines. Arms crossed, he casually leaned on the tree's trunk, his gaze turned upward at the clear skies. Despite the uncaring exterior he put on, Karma's attention was fully focused on the duo. As much as he wanted to leave Nagisa to be deceived yet again, a strange feeling of loyalty held him back from fully abandoning his friend. That same loyalty did not apply to Kayano, so he simply tuned out the sound of her voice.

A name caught his attention. _Akari Yukimura_. Smiling widely, the actress offered her hand to Nagisa. One eye on them, Karma waited to see if Nagisa would take her hand.

He wasn't prepared for what would happen next. Stumbling back, Nagisa's expression turned panicked and fearful. His breathing was ragged, and his eyes were cloudy and distant, as if he was seeing things. Karma knew that look: He had caught a glimpse of it back at the Preschool, right before Nagisa had disappeared for the whole day. _His condition only worsened after that day... Is this what he was going through?_

Stepping in, Karma stood between Nagisa and Kayano. Grabbing Nagisa by the shoulders, Karma led him back underneath the shade of the tree. Gently settling him down by the tree roots, he made sure to check his friend's reaction. Sparing a single glance for his partner, Karma confronted the root of the problem. All veils removed, Karma stood in Kayano's way, cold and bitter. "You really don't understand it, do you? What you've done?"

Softly, Kayano shook her head. Her own facade was shattered, seeing her closest friend stumble back with such fear. Horror and regret welled up inside her, choking her and rendering her unable to speak.

" _No matter what, I'm an actress. Background characters shouldn't meddle._ Sound familiar? I sure hope so. You're the one that said them, after all." Wind blew through the field, bending the grass all around them. "You've never actually thought about what you've done, have you? Never considered how us _background characters_ might have felt about your little game."

Averting his merciless glare, Kayano turned her gaze to Nagisa. In a trance, the young boy motionlessly sat by the base of the tree. His hand listlessly stroked one of the tree roots, using the sensation to ground himself back to reality. Remorse coursing through her veins, Kayano finally found her words again. "I can fix this. Even if I have to spend the rest of my life doing it." 

"Don't go making promises you can't keep, _Yukimura._ " The words were bitter on his tongue as he recalled his own promise, so close to breaking. "Fix it? After what you did? Are we just supposed to forget your lies?"

"N-no. I didn't-"

"But that's exactly what you're asking for, right? Another chance to start over. Another chance to backstab us all again."

"No! I wouldn't do that again… Not after last time!"

"Heh. We're supposed to believe you, just like that, huh?" His thoughts were hazy, all rationality thrown aside by anger. Growing within him was a desire to lash out at something, anything. His promise was the only thing holding him back now. "You know, it's a really good thing you're friends with Nagisa, Okuda, and the rest of them. Otherwise…" Clenching his fist, Karma locked on to the liar. His grin remained, but no shred of mirth was within it. "I wouldn't hold back on you."

"Go ahead." Her voice wavered in the wind as she struggled to hold back her emotions. Tears filling her eyes, she accepted her fate solemnly. "I deserve it."

Taken aback, Karma stood uncertain for a moment, before his grin grew even wilder. "Well then..." Winding back his fist, his eyes blazed with manic fury. His knuckles were pale white, powered with a fiery rage. Standing against him, his opponent made no attempt to defend herself. "At least you admit it." Unhesitating, Karma launched his blow. Kayano shut her eyes tight, accepting the strike.

A light breeze tickled her left ear. 

Her heart beating rapidly, Kayano opened her eyes again. Karma's fist had barely missed her, his arm only an inch away from her left cheek. Stepping in from the sidelines, Nagisa had narrowly diverted Karma's punch. His once dull gaze shone bright blue, sharp and deadly. In one swift motion, he pushed the two of them apart. "That's enough. Both of you."

In the blink of an eye, the blinding fury that had consumed Karma disappeared. _What did I just do?_ His mind clear, Karma instinctively took a few steps back, preventing himself from causing any more harm. His face was impassive, but his mind was a whirlwind of confusion and regret. Seeing her just accept his attack had brought everything he assumed about her into question. _Is it possible? Did she really mean everything she said?_

Moving quickly, Kayano placed herself right in front of Nagisa. Visibly worried, she nervously checked his eyes. They were misty, but the fact that he could connect his gaze meant that he had returned. "Nagisa? Are you all right?"

Just as quickly as he shifted into his assassin's glare, his focus dissipated back into normality. Turning away, the troubled boy broke eye contact. "I'm sorry for making you all worry. But don't worry about me… We have much bigger things to talk about." Even as he talked, Nagisa couldn't bear to look at Kayano directly. Whether it was because of his guilt or for fear of triggering more memories, nobody knew. His sight was locked only on the grass beside her feet. "Listen… When I started writing down those notes, it wasn't because I was hurt, or because I didn't trust you. It was because I wanted to learn the truth about my friend, the one I spent the whole year with. I wanted to know who you really were.”

Gentler than the breeze on their faces, Kayano's voice was hesitant, unsure of her next step. "And now?"

"I still don't know.” Head bowed in defeat, Nagisa watched as leaves blew past the hilltop. _All that time… All that effort… Was it all for nothing?_

"But maybe… with enough time, we could find a way." This was Kayano's desperate last plea. Motionless, she silently begged for something to change, for one of them to change their minds. But nothing came forth, and their hearts were heavy.

"How do we know you won’t lie again?" The fury in Karma’s words had gone. No longer the mischievous prankster or the furious assassin, Karma spoke with a stilted tone, as if he was restraining himself from causing any more harm. Not even his facade could fully contain the feeling of guilt he had.

"I… I don't know." The wind had stopped, dreadful silence enveloping them all. An eternity passed, none of them finding the right words to speak. Silently, with no hint of any emotions, the actress was the first to leave. Each step was heavy, but no tears fell. Sparing one last look at each other, the two partners glanced at each other, before also going their separate ways.

There was nothing left to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!
> 
> Nah, I'm just kidding. We've still got a bit more to go before the fanfic's over. About 4-5 chapters, if I planned it out right. 
> 
> This does mark the end of Part 2, and the emotional climax of the story! Suffice to say, I'm excited we've made it this far. Just like Part 1, I'm asking for story critique/complaints. Don't like how I've portrayed a certain scene/character? Unhappy with how I don't put enough character headcanons into the author's notes? Think I describe people's faces way too much? Now's a good time to tell me! (Once again, if nobody says anything, I'll just assume I'm doing OK!) 
> 
> Edit: Forgot to mention, I might take a day's break just to do other things. I'll be back before you know it, though!
> 
> Next up: Three pretenders have a nice talk.


	15. Conversations: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: I refer to Bitch-Sensei as Irina for most of this chapter. I'm really not comfortable with calling her Bitch-Sensei, so please bear with me... Other than that, enjoy the story!

Locked away in her bedroom, a young girl silently curled up underneath her blanket sheets. The room was dark, with curtains drawn and all lights shut off. Only the sound of muffled breaths betrayed anyone's presence in the room. 

The tears had dried long ago. With nothing left to her but lonesome solitude, Kayano wished more than ever that Aguri was still here. Unconsciously, her mind began wandering, imagining dreams she had given up on. First, a gentle caress on her cheek. Then a comforting warmth. Finally, a soft voice whispering in her ear, telling her everything was going to be fine.

But it was only a dream, and reality could not be ignored forever. And the reality was that she was all alone, trapped in a prison of her own making. All alone, the weight of her heart only grew heavier in her chest.  _ I can't even say I deserve my heart… Koro-Sensei used up the last of his energy to save me. _ As it had done countless times before, regret pierced through her like a knife.  _ Why couldn't I have seen sooner? Why did I go so far for nothing? _

A loud noise briefly snapped Kayano out of her misery. Someone was knocking on her door. With no willpower left within her, Kayano remained motionless on her bed. She was a mess, both physically and emotionally.  _ I can't… I can't face anyone right now.  _ Resolving to ignore it, she hoped that whoever was visiting would leave soon.

Slowly, she heard the door creak open. Strange, considering Kayano was sure she had locked it beforehand. Faintly, she could hear voices speaking beyond her bedroom door. "-and that's how you lockpick an apartment door."

"Thank you for the lesson, Bitch-Sensei, but was this really necessary?"

"Trust me, you get an intuition for this after some time in the field. Now, let's find her quickly." Footsteps trailed off. Before Kayano could react to the intrusion, her own bedroom door opened with a soft creak. Completely still, she peeked out from under her blankets. Light brown eyes made contact with hers, before the door separated the two once more. 

_ It's just Kanzaki and Bitch-Sensei… _ Lethargy overwhelmed Kayano yet again, sapping away any sort of curiosity she might have felt. Closing her eyes, she tried to fall back asleep. No luck. Dimly, words from outside snuck into her ears.  _ find… sweets… cheer up... _

Hidden under her blankets, Kayano could feel a presence settle down on her bed. Gently, the blanket covering her face was pulled off. Sitting beside her was her former teacher, Irina Jelavic. Mental exhaustion dulling any emotions she might have had, Kayano pulled herself up to a sitting level. Still wrapped under her blankets, Kayano remained inert and unresponsive. For either a moment or an eternity, two assassins waited for a change in the winds.

The door was pushed open again. Holding a large box in her hands, Kanzaki entered the room.  _ Nagisa’s candy box _ , Kayano dimly recognized. The cardboard box stirred a slumbering warmth within Kayano, but not enough yet to rouse her from her self-induced sorrow. Now half-empty and filled with discarded wrappers, the box still contained a formidable arsenal of sweets. Picking out a Milk Chocolate Bar, Irina waved it in front of Kayano. No response.

"Well then, if you don't want it…" Temptingly, she slowly unwrapped the plastic outsides, uncovering the chocolate bar. Unmistakably, Kayano's eyes were drawn to the milky splendor of the white bar. Her tastebuds rebelled- She had not had any sugary treats for a whole day. 

Suddenly, a hand darted out of the mass of blankets. Deftly snatching the bar out of the temptress' hands, Kayano stared at it for a few moments. In a few massive chomps, Kayano wolfed down the entire bar.  _ At least the chocolates are as sweet as ever. _ Suddenly, Kayano realized that she had just stolen a candy from the most irritable teacher she had ever seen. Peeking upwards, Kayano expected to be on the receiving end of another rant. Instead, she was met with an expression of relief. "There, that's the Kayano we know. Feeling better?"

"A little…" She mumbled.

"Good. Now, why don't you tell us what's wrong?"

* * *

"After that, I couldn't take it anymore. So I ran away…" Having shed her blankets a while ago, Kayano was now propped up at the edge of her bed. Her energy had only partially returned, but it was enough to retell the story of that fateful morning. Sitting at the edges of the bed, both Irina and Kanzaki patiently listened to her tale. "I didn't know… I didn't know how badly it affected them. They're right to hate me…" The weight of her failures only grew heavier upon her. Staring down at the ground, what remained of Kayano's willpower trembled. "Do you hate me too?"

A strange pressure gripped her wrist. Looking up, Kayano was faced with warm brown eyes. "How could we hate you? You're our friend, Kayano. We won't leave you, not after 3-E."

The burden in her chest eased ever so slightly. Shaking her head, Kayano broke off the stare. "But why? I lied to you all… I betrayed you all."

"So you've made a mistake. Did you think you were the only one?" Irina's voice was firm, almost harsh. "I've tried to backstab you all for a better shot at my target, remember? I'm not proud of it, but that doesn't change the fact that it happened." The former assassin crossed her arms, the shadows of guilt passing through her. Shaking the feelings off, she continued speaking. "The point is, everyone in 3-E's made mistakes before. If they hadn't, they wouldn't be in 3-E. But if there's one thing that octopus… Koro-Sensei spent the rest of his life teaching, it's that what you've done doesn't matter. It's what you do now that does."

Unbidden and unwanted, hope began to rise up again. But the guilt was still strong, and Kayano remained unconvinced. "Didn't you hear the story? It's hopeless now… I've gone too far."

"No, it's not. Not to me. Not to 3-E. And certainly not to Nagisa." Kanzaki's voice was steady, filled with a soft-spoken confidence. "Nagisa said it himself: It doesn't matter to him, what you did or your reasons why. All that matters is learning more about who you really were. If he truly hated you for what you did, would he have done all that for you?"

"But-"

"When Nagisa kissed you on that night, he took a risk. He trusted that all the time we spent together meant something to you. That it wasn't all just an act. Now, you have to trust him. Trust that the time you spent together means more to him than anything you've done. Can you do that for him?"

"I can." Newfound hope now simmering within her, Kayano sat upright. Suddenly, the world seemed brighter, if only by a little bit. Staring up into the eyes of her companions, she mumbled a few words of gratitude. 

"Irina-Sensei, Kanzaki… Thank You."

* * *

Bonus Scene:

_ Grandmaster: @Baseball Freak @Poison Glasses Could I speak to you two for a moment? _

_ Baseball Freak: What's up? _

_ Poison Glasses: yes? _

_ Grandmaster: Kayano had an argument with Nagisa and Karma. She wants to apologize, but isn't sure how. Could I ask you two to check on Nagisa and Karma, to make sure they aren't angry anymore? _

_ Baseball Freak: Nagisa being angry? You don't need to worry about that! I'm sure he's over whatever they're arguing about by now! _

_ Grandmaster: All the same, please consider checking. I know I'm asking for much, but it would truly mean a lot to me if you went. _

_ Baseball Freak: All right, I'll go. _

_ Grandmaster: :) Thank you. I knew I could count on you. @Poison Glasses Can I ask you to do the same? _

_ Poison Glasses: ok! i'll go visit karma tommorow! _

_ Grandmaster: Thanks, Okuda. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I couldn't make too much use of it, the Kanzaki/Kayano friendship is honestly one of the most intriguing partnerships in AC to me, right next to the Karma/Okuda relationship. Both of them hid away traits of themselves, pretending to be something they weren't normally, but grew into. One day, I'd love to see these two just talk about their various acts and how they were changed because of them. Maybe add in a bit of Irina as well... (Future One-shot idea? Maybe...)
> 
> Side note: Irina's "Your mistakes don't define who you are" speech is the moral I decided to take from AC. Is it the moral Matsui intended to give? Probably not. But is it a nice lesson to learn anyways? I sure think so. (Speaking of mistakes... Since nobody's given criticism last chapter, I'll assume I'm doing fine! Criticisms are always welcome, though!)


	16. Conversations: Part 2

Casually reclined on his bed, Karma whiled away the hours in thoughtful silence. Within his mind, a constant stream of memories replayed themselves. Once again, a question flared in his mind, insistent on an answer.  _ Was she being genuine? Or was it all another act?  _ Dimly, he grew aware of his phone buzzing. Welcoming the distraction, he immediately answered the call, not even bothering to check who it was.  _ Probably Rio with another scheme... _

"Hello, Karma?" A petite voice came out from his phone, startling him. 

"Okuda?" Barely concealing his surprise, Karma frowned at this new turn of events. While Okuda was one of the easiest people in class to talk to, she rarely ever reached out to others. Usually, it was Karma who called her, not the other way around. "What's going on?"

"Um- Nothing! I just wanted to ask you a question."

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Are you angry right now?"

"No?" Grimly smirking, Karma shook his head at the irony. He would much rather be feeling anger than whatever emotions he was processing right now.

"Oh, that's a relief! Kanzaki said you had an argument with Nagisa and Kayano, and I got worried. I'm glad to see you're OK!" Suddenly, a realization passed through him. At some point, he was going to have to tell Okuda about the events on the hilltop.  _ That would not be a fun conversation. _ Pushing aside the thought, he decided to delay the conversation.

"You worry too much. I'm fine, see?" 

"I'm glad you are." Suddenly, she gasped, as if she remembered something important. "Oh, that reminds me! You never told me what poisons you wanted." Somewhere in the background, Karma could hear something bubbling and hissing- Probably a new experiment she wanted to test out.

"I'll take whatever you're brewing up right now." He muttered off-handedly. 

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I'll find a good use for it." 

"Ok! I'll bring it to you later today."

"Sure, sure." Hanging up, Karma couldn't help but smile. It was certainly a pleasant surprise, seeing her again so soon.

* * *

Not long after the call, the doorbell rang. Patiently waiting outside, a bespectacled chemist clutched a thermos in her hands. Seeing Karma, she visibly brightened. As soon as the gate was opened, she quickly offered up the thermos to him. "Here you go, Karma!"

"Ah, thank you." Nodding once, he took the thermos into his own hands. It was warm to the touch, steam curling out of it. "But what exactly is this?"

"Golden Flower Tea. You said you'd take whatever I was brewing, so…"

_ That explains the boiling and hissing… _ Chuckling to himself, Karma raised an eyebrow at his companion. "You know you didn't have to come all this way, right?" 

"I just wanted to make sure you were fine… I guess I was worried for nothing. I'll be going back now. It was nice seeing you around, Karma!" 

"Why don't you stay for a bit? It's a long way from here to your home." Truthfully, Karma hadn't planned on keeping her around for long. However, seeing her here made him realize that he would much rather spend the afternoon talking to a happy Okuda than replaying old memories over and over. 

"Oh, um…" She stopped, before breaking into a hesitant smile. "I guess I can stay for a while." 

* * *

Walking into his own home, Karma was made painfully aware of just how empty it felt. With nobody besides him living in it, the place held an eerie silence. All the souvenirs his parents had collected lined the shelves, giving the place an almost "museum-like" feel. As they walked, Karma slowly became conscious of his partner's actions. Okuda was peeking into every room she could, inquisitive eyes taking in the sights. Tapping her on the shoulder, Karma gave her a curious stare. "Looking for something?"

Caught in the act, the curious girl squeaked. Lightly blushing, her words came out in a hushed tone. "I've never seen Karma's parents before… I was wondering if they were here?"

"Don't bother. They're off on some vacation trip again. Don't know when they'll be back." 

"Oh… Doesn't it get lonely?"

"Don't worry, you get used to it." And with that, they arrived at the living room. Settling Okuda down on a couch, Karma headed off towards the kitchen to get some refreshments. "Do you want anything in particular, Okuda?"

"I'm fine with anything, thanks!"

* * *

Sitting in Karma's living room, Manami Okuda took in the varied sights before her. The living room was absolutely filled to the brim with various trinkets and artifacts, all presumably collected by Karma's parents.  _ Karma's parents must travel a lot… I wonder how often he sees them? _

The sound of footsteps snaps her out of her musings. Holding an empty cup in one hand and a juice box in the other, Karma returned. With a wink, he offered the juice to her. "Here you go, Okuda. One of my precious strawberry milk boxes, straight from the fridge. Don't waste it." Pouring himself a cup of tea from the thermos, both friends spent the next few moments in silence. Finishing his cup of tea, Karma was the first one to speak. "Listen... I have a question for you. A hypothetical question."

"A question?" Perking up, Okuda looked at her companion curiously. Her eyes held an inquisitive gleam within them. Karma couldn't help but crack a small smile- She truly was a scientist, first and foremost.

He hesitated for a split second, before speaking up. "Imagine you had a friend. You trust this friend, and you would say the two of you are close. Now imagine your friend told you they never really cared about you, and were only using you. How would you feel?"

"I… I guess I would be hurt."

"Now imagine that your friend came crawling back to you after they backstabbed you. What would you do?"

"I'd give them another chance." 

"But why?"

Amethyst eyes narrowed in thought. Letting out a small smile of embarrassment, the introvert looked away. "You know I don't make a lot of friends. That's why the friends I do have are all special to me."

"Really? Even me?" Karma grinned slyly. His tone was playful, almost dismissive. 

Once again, the scientist's answer was short and sincere. "Of course! You are very special to me, Karma."

Fighting off a rising blush, said very-special-friend tried to get back on topic. "But what if your friend was also a pretender, so you could never tell if they were telling the truth or not? And one day, she apologized for everything she did, but you were too mad and tried to attack her?" 

"Karma… This isn't a hypothetical question anymore, is it?" 

Mercury eyes blinked in surprise. Breaking eye contact, the delinquent's expression turned guarded. "I guess I should know better than to try and keep a secret from you, Okuda." He took a deep breath. "The questions were about Kayano." 

"You… You tried to attack Kayano?" Okuda felt as if a chill had run down her spine. Shocked, she tried to read Karma's expression. No good. His posture hadn't changed, but it felt as if he had thrown a barrier around himself. "B-But why?"

"I thought she was trying to trick us again. She did… something to Nagisa, something that terrified him. I got angry, and the next thing I knew, I had already thrown my punch." For a single moment, an expression of guilt passed through his face. "But then Kayano just… stood there. Like she felt too guilty to strike back." Arms crossed, he looked back towards his companion. Even with her limited skills, Okuda could sense uncertainty within him, a rarity for Karma. "Maybe you can understand it, Okuda. You were always closer to Kayano than I am."

"I don't, Karma…" Head bowed low, Okuda let out a sigh of defeat. Now more than ever, she cursed her inability to say the right thing. If Koro-Sensei were here, he would have done something to help Karma. Something to cheer him up, encourage him, or help him see a new path. But he was gone, and Okuda was the only one left. Softly, she began speaking. "I don't understand why Kayano wouldn't defend herself, or even why you would try to attack her. I don't know what you or Kayano are feeling, or what I can say to make it all better." Letting go of her restraints, she let her thoughts flow freely.

"But that's all right. Because experiments never work the first time." Violet eyes shimmering with hope, she made eye contact with Karma. He was transfixed, golden spheres aimed directly at her. "I know that our first attempts didn't work out… But I'm sure that if we keep on trying, I'm sure we can find the perfect solution!" Suddenly, her burst in confidence faded away. "T-That is… I-If you're f-fine with it."

Her words had affected Karma, but she didn't know how. Using a tone she couldn't identify, he spoke again. "Why do you keep trying, Okuda?"

"I… I've already lost one of my closest friends, Karma. I don't want to lose any more." Yellow pinpricks of light flashed in her memories, but quickly disappeared. Words failing her, Okuda shrunk back into her seat. She had tried her best, but these things were still so confusing to her. Nervously waiting, she prayed for a miracle.

* * *

Karma was surprised, to say the least. Surprised at himself for opening up so easily. Surprised at Okuda's answers. But, most of all, he was surprised at himself for considering her words. She was more right than she knew. For all his clever machinations and scheming, he still knew nothing about Kayano, nothing that would help him if she ever tried to backstab them all again. 

Perhaps she was right. Perhaps it was time for a change.

Chucking softly, Karma fixed his gaze on Okuda. Carefully choosing his next words, the former investigator spoke cautiously. "Okuda. We've already had this deal before, haven't we?" Pulling out the flyer, he set it down on the table in front of her. "You know demons can't break their own pacts." 

Okuda stared at him for a few moments, puzzling out the meaning behind those words. Then realization set in, along with a radiant joy. Watching her beam so happily, Karma couldn’t help but crack a smile of his own.  _ She’s given me a second chance. It’s only fair I give Kayano one as well. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, Karma and Okuda are really good friends, huh? Someone should really get these two together...
> 
> Karma's main character trait in this fanfic was his unwillingness to trust Kayano, as I'm sure you've all noticed. Who better to convince him to try again than Okuda, who's trusting to a fault? (Her first appearance has her trust her target to not trick her. That's pretty strange, even by my standards.) While it's not complete forgiveness yet, at least it's a start! 
> 
> (Side note: I cleaned up the story tags a bit.)


	17. Conversations: Part 3

_ Sugino Tomohito: Hey, you up? _

_ Nagisa Shiota: Yeah…  _

_ Nagisa Shiota: What's up? _

_ Sugino Tomohito: Kanzaki wanted me to check on you. Something about you, Kayano, and Karma having an argument? _

_ Nagisa Shiota: Oh. _

_ Nagisa Shiota: Yeah, we had an argument. It's nothing you need to worry about, though! _

_ Sugino Tomohito: If you say so. You busy tomorrow? _

_ Nagisa Shiota: No. _

_ Sugino Tomohito: All right, let's meet up tomorrow, k? _

_ Nagisa Shiota: Sure. _

* * *

The cacophony of the city barely registered itself in Nagisa's ears. Motionlessly loitering outside a convenience store, Nagisa's mind was blank. In front of him, cars and buses zoomed past in a dizzying array. He was emotionless, a still watcher in a whirlwind of movement.  The tinkling of a bell snapped him out of his reverie. Firmly setting down a blue slushie on the table, Sugino sat down on the other side of the table. With his right hand, he sipped a strawberry slushie of his own. "Here's yours. Blueberry flavoured, like usual."

Confused, Nagisa took the large cup into his hands. "I didn't order any slushies?"

"Don't worry about it! This one's on me." Before Sugino could react, Nagisa had already begun digging through his pockets for money. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Sugino shook his head. "Again, it's on me."

"Thanks..." Nodding once in gratitude, Nagisa began sipping the slushie. For a while, neither of them spoke, choosing instead to enjoy their frozen treats.

"So, what's been going on with you? You seem quiet… Well, quieter than usual." Cracking a grin, Sugino tilted his head in Nagisa's direction. From his perspective, Nagisa's motions were slow, much slower than usual. In addition, his eyes lacked the sheen that they normally had. "Didn't get enough sleep last night?"

Almost instinctively, Nagisa deflected the question. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

Judging from the unimpressed look on his face, it seemed Sugino wasn't convinced. Wryly, he gave Nagisa a strange stare. "Well, I'd be less worried if you told me what it was." 

Letting out a sigh, Nagisa smiled a reluctant smile. There wasn't a reason to hide it anymore, he guessed. "I've been having nightmares."

"Nightmares, huh? You know, I once had nightmares, but those were because I watched a horror movie before. If we find out what's causing your nightmares, I'm sure we can fix it!" Confidence emanating from him, Sugino looked Nagisa dead in the eye. "So, what's the nightmare about?"

There wasn't any use in hiding anymore. Sooner or later, he was going to find out anyways. Taking a moment to prepare, Nagisa let out a pent-up breath. "Last night? It was about Kayano."

Sugino's eyebrows shot up skywards. "Kayano?" In the blink of an eye, his jovial mood shifted instantly. His voice lowered to a cautious hush. "Was your argument really that bad?"

"No, it's… It's a long story." 

"Longer than Koro-Sensei’s?"

"No… Not really.” Taking one last sip out of the cup, the investigator steeled himself for the long road ahead. “It all began two weeks ago…"

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when Nagisa finished his tale. A sigh indicating his finished story, Nagisa stared down into his slushie cup. It was now completely empty, with droplets of colored liquid left on the bottom. Flinging his own emptied cup into a nearby waste bin, Sugino took a moment to fully process the story. "You really went through a lot of trouble for this..." A confused look on his face, Sugino scratched his head. "But I don't understand… Why didn't you just ask her?"

"We couldn't trust her anymore… She might have lied to us again."

"But she's already come clean, hasn't she? There's no reason to lie anymore."

"I… I want to believe you. But I can't." Vision cast downward, Nagisa wouldn't make eye contact. He was clearly troubled, both by Kayano’s actions and his own. "That's why I started taking notes. I needed to find the truth."

"And what did you find?"

Frowning, Nagisa tried to recall everything he had discovered. "She likes sweets. She cares for her sister. She's good at controlling her emotions." Sighing in disappointment, the investigator shook his head sadly. "That's it…"  _ All this time, and I still know nothing... _

"Really? That's all? I could have told you that!" Sugino shouted in exasperation, right before immediately biting his tongue. Guiltily glancing at Nagisa, he tried to get back on track. "Point is, there's only two options. Either Kayano's fully come clean and we can trust her, or she's lying about everything." Frowning in thought, the former 3-E student recalled back to their last night as 3-E. "Kayano nearly died protecting us from that tentacle monster thing. If she were just using us, would she have done that?"

"But what if she decides to lie again?" Trembling in the wind, Nagisa's voice shook unsteadily. All of his pent-up fears and worries were now coming out in full force. "What if she turns on us? We can't ever be sure on how she feels about us… About what she really thinks about us. She could be lying to us, and we would never know. She could just be using us again. She could just be hiding her bloodlust from us, like before. She could-"

A firm grasp on his shoulder snapped Nagisa out of his thoughts. Dark blue eyes were locked on to him, sympathy welling within them. "Hey, I get it. You're scared of her, right? So was I. Heck, even Karma got scared, and you know what he’s like. I don’t think there’s anyone in this whole class that didn’t get scared of her when she showed up like that.” Like a candle in the night, Sugino's optimism quietly burned within him. “But we learned to move on and try again, didn’t we? Even after her assassination plan, we still worked together as a team, trying out new assassination plans and carrying out missions the best we could. We trusted her then… And I’m sure we can trust her again!”

Averting his gaze once more, Nagisa’s vision turned to the busy streets. The burden of a thousand unanswered questions still remained within him, weighing him down like ironclad chains. Choosing just one of them, he vocalized his thoughts. “Do you trust her, Sugino?”

Sugino was taken aback by the question. Pondering it for a few moments, he answered carefully. “Do you remember Shindo?”

Images of their baseball tournament against the principal flashed in Nagisa’s mind.  _ Kunogigaoka’s Baseball team captain, right?  _ “Yes, I remember him.”

“After I got kicked off the Baseball team, we stopped talking for a while. He didn’t want anything to do with me, so we drifted apart. But then we had that baseball match against the principal, and we started talking again. We didn’t fix it up right away, but we’re cool now.” Raising an eyebrow, Sugino waited for any sort of reaction from Nagisa. No response. “The point is, things like these take time. I know it’s tough, trying to fix everything after all that. But even if we're knocked down, we can still turn this around. So stay with me, and we'll figure this out together, OK?"

Instinctively shrinking back, Nagisa shook his head. A veil now separated the two, as it had separated him from everyone else. "You don't need to… I can handle this myself."

"Yourself? Come on, Nagisa, we're part of a team! I don't just abandon teammates that easily." Suddenly leaping out of his seat, Sugino quickly moved over to Nagisa's side. Face illuminated with a hopeful determination, Sugino extended a helping hand. "You're not leaving Kayano, and I'm not leaving you. We'll find a way to fix this mess, all of us. Do you want the help?"

"I… I do." Taking his hand, Nagisa pushed away the worries haunting him. New resolve was filling him, readying him for another chance. Looking directly at his friend, Nagisa spoke the first words on his mind. "Thank you." 

Standing proudly beside him, Sugino grinned in anticipation. "Hey, it's no problem. That's what friends are far, after all!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick announcement: College officially starts in two days, and I don't know how this is going to affect my writing schedule. While I'm 100% going to finish this fanfic, this may have an impact on future works. (Yes, I mentioned school way back in the 4th chapter's AN. That's... a different thing.)
> 
> Partway through planning out this story, I realized that Nagisa has a very worrying tendency to smile and pretend everything's fine when everything is clearly not. His general solution to most of his problematic relationships is to just pretend that it's no big issue. (His mom Hiromi, Karma, Kayano...) What's even more worrying is how easily he's succeeded in doing it. Sugino is perhaps the only person "close" to Nagisa who hasn't screwed him over in some capacity. (Well, him and Koro-Sensei, but we all know what happened to him.) That being said, I'm sure he's well on his way to fixing up these relationships, the best way he knows how.
> 
> Next up: The final chapter! (Well, second final, if you include the epilogue.)
> 
> (Is anyone interested in seeing some of the ideas that didn't make it into the fanfic? I could easily type out the cut ideas and add a link next chapter.)


	18. Finale

The building was abandoned, no trace of life within it's wooden walls. Dust and cobwebs filled the once vibrant halls, a testament to time's eternal passage. Stepping into the old classroom, Kayano let out a small cry. After they had left, government agents had immediately converged on the place, taking away any and all evidence that a Mach 20 Superbeing had ever been there. Now desolate of everything, all that remained were their old desks and the teacher's table.

She had chosen to make her last stand here, because of all the memories that they had shared in this old place. Taking an old desk, Kayano settled into her usual spot in the classroom. Firmly, she set Nagisa's Notepad down on it, then triple-checked it's contents. On that notepad lied all her future hopes. Clutching a green ballpen in her hands, she hoped she had done the right thing.  Heartbeat intensifying, Kayano wondered at her nervousness. Back then, she could have pulled off an act like this with no issues. Faking a smile was the easiest thing to do, and hiding her feelings should have come just as easily.

Maybe it was because she had changed. Maybe it was because she was no longer the actress she claimed she was. Throughout all that time, the emotions she had claimed were fake had slowly turned genuine, the smiles she faked turning real. 

Wiping away the dust from the windows, Kayano caught a glimpse of herself on the windowpane. She was so different now, so different from when she was Akari Yukimura. So many things had changed. So many things were still changing. But if there was one thing she wished would never change, it would be the friends she had made in this lonely building. 

That's why she was here. For a chance to preserve them, no matter how low the odds were.

* * *

The skies were gloomy, a multitude of clouds flying over them like birds of prey. Silently waiting, Karma watched as leaves swayed and fell all around him. A small path led deeper into the mountains and eventually to their old campus, but he would not take that path yet.

Amidst the empty silence, footsteps resounded across the vacant streets. Sky-blue hair bundled into pigtails, Nagisa paced up the pathway alone. Neither of them expressed shock, but both of them knew the other felt it. One eyebrow raised, Karma regarded the newcomer with a smirk. "So, you're here as well, huh?

Nagisa nodded. "Kayano invited you too?" He was cautious, and not without undue reason. Standing from a distance, a wary look was in Nagisa's eye.

"Yeah." Without waiting for a response, Karma walked up the winding path. A breeze shook the canopies above them, scattering leaves down onto the earth. 

"Why did you come?" Nagisa's voice spoke out from behind him, rising above the canopy's cacaphony.

"Do I need a reason?" The response was blunt, cutting off the conversation quickly. Lulled to silence, only the rustling of the wind broke the dreadful hush that entombed them. The silence persisted a few moments longer, before Karma spoke again. "I came here for the same reason you did. I came to hear a friend out."

"A friend?" Now keeping pace with him, Nagisa walked beside his companion. His voice a skeptical hush, he carefully watched for a response. 

"A friend's friend." The footsteps stopped. Turning around, Karma finally faced his former ally. There he stood, resolute in his choice. "I'm not here to fight. Is that really so hard to believe?"

Voice as soft as the breeze around them, Nagisa shook his head. "You don't need to pretend anymore. The mission's over, Karma."

"It's your mission, not mine." Crossing his arms, Karma stood motionless against the viridian backdrop. "I'm giving her a fair shot, Nagisa. Isn't that enough?"

Cracking a small grin of his own, Nagisa looked at him with a weary amusement. "I'm glad you're here, Karma." Stepping up, Nagisa continued the trek upwards to their old schoolhouse. "Let's go. She's waiting for us."

* * *

Taking in the sight of their old schoolhouse once more, a small grin adorned Nagisa's face. Despite everything that had happened here, the memory of this place was still a happy one. Lost in a haze of bittersweet memories, both students kept moving forwards.  Stepping into the old classroom, Nagisa let out a small gasp. The room was bare, no hint of 3-E's presence left. But that was not what drew his attention. Dressed in her school uniform, Kayano was the first one to see them enter. Standing up, she steadily walked over to the two of them, her eyes maintained directly on his. Jutting out a trembling arm, she offered his notepad back to him. 

Reeling from the confusion, Nagisa blankly took the notepad into his hands. Like he had done a thousand times, his hands flipped open the notepad, his eyes expecting to see the same scrawls that had haunted him. Almost immediately, he froze in shock. "Kayano… This is…"

Peeking over his shoulder, Karma looked down on the notepad, curious to see what had prompted such a reaction. Golden eyes widened in surprise as he took in the new information. Placed within the margins of Nagisa's old observations, a new set of notes were written in green ink. Pages upon pages were filled out, revealing the truth that they had long sought after. 

"I know that compared to all I've done, this isn't much, but…" Kayano began to speak, but her words faltered under the endless doubts. Nervously, she glanced over at Karma, fearful of a scathing retribution. Sensing her fear, Karma regarded her carefully, then motioned for her to continue. He was stoic, no hint of any emotions coming out. Mustering her courage, Kayano stared Nagisa directly in the eye, no more special tricks or hidden plans. "Nagisa… I made a mistake. I know that now. I’ve hurt you two… No, not just you two. I’ve hurt a lot of people with what I’ve done. But I promise, I'll do whatever I have to just to fix this. All I'm asking for is a second chance."

Azure orbs met golden eyes. Completely relaxed, Karma impassively waited for Nagisa's response. A slight tilt of his head made the message clear:  _ It's his choice. _

* * *

_ Should I trust her again?  _ The decision would be a major one. Retreating into his mind, the young boy paused for a moment. Quicker than light, Nagisa's thoughts ran through his head, each one constantly vying for his attention. Everything he knew, no, everything he believed about her was now brought to light. Facing a swirling tempest of memories, Nagisa focused on the parts that would help him decide.

Like the ache caused by a wound never fully healed, a distant memory brought itself to his thoughts. It was the night of her betrayal, when the flames were at their highest. Ever since the nightmares had begun, he had locked this memory away, suppressing it with all his might. But now, with the end so near, there was no other choice. Accepting the thought, Nagisa played the memory once more.

_ The fires raged all around them. Restrained by a desperate sacrifice, Kayano struggled against Koro-Sensei's grip. In a few moments, she would die. Taking a step forward, Nagisa placed himself in front of his close friend. For the briefest of moments, something in Kayano's eyes changed. There was a glimpse of the girl he had known, the girl he had shared so many memories with. Seizing on to that glimpse, he stepped boldly forward. _

That was why he stayed. That was why he would continue to stay. It was that familiar glimmer, the hope that she truly was the person he had grown so close to. It was that hope that kept driving him forward through these past few days. And it was that hope that was now so close to fulfilment. 

The decision was clear to him now. Emerging from his thoughts, Nagisa looked back up at Kayano. The glimpse he had seen long ago was now there in full, no trace of hidden bloodlust left. Accepting whatever fate his actions might bring, Nagisa made his choice. Decisively shutting the notepad, he carefully lay it down on a desk beside him. Abandoning fear and doubt, he stared deep into the eyes of his close friend.

"We'll try again, Kayano. No matter how many tries it takes."

* * *

Bonus Scene:

"I just want to say… Thank you, Karma. Thanks for trusting me again."

Karma shook his head, a glint in his eye. "Trust you? Not yet. But at least I'm not waiting around for you to backstab me, right?" Smirking his trademark smirk, he tossed his Anti-Sensei knife into the air, before catching it hilt-first. "Besides, you really think I'm going to give up my favorite playthings that easily? You two are way too fun to mess around with."

"That's not what it seemed like on that hilltop…" Kayano mumbled, an annoyed look on her face. The conversation lulled, both of them thinking of their next words.

"Nagisa… He's an impressive guy, isn't he? Not a lot of people can survive two betrayals. Even less of them would willingly take the traitors back in." 

"Two traitors…?"

"I guess you don't know the full story yet. All you need to know is that I abandoned Nagisa for no good reason last year." Sighing, Karma stick the knife back in his pocket. "Truthfully? I don't think either of us deserve to be his friends."

Softly smiling, Kayano bowed her own head. "You're right. But he chose to stay with us anyways. All we can do is make sure he doesn't regret his choice."

"Heh. I guess you're right." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... I can't actually believe we've made it this far! It's been a long ride, but I'm glad we got to the end eventually. I'm still considering if I want to write that epilogue or not... If I don't ever come around to it, just know it's just a nice picnic in a field. (Yep, you know what field of grass I'm talking about. Nagisa's gonna be fine... probably.) 
> 
> Now that it's all over, I'm considering what I want to do next... Take a break? Write some fun one-shots? Or maybe come up with another 2-3 month project for fun? If anyone's got anything they really want to see, I'm always up for a good suggestion! I don't guarantee anything, though. (Side note: If I end up writing another one of these, expect the chapter to come out once a week instead of once every 4 days. College has begun, and I really ought to focus on that as well. Sorry about that.)
> 
> If any of you are interested in seeing the ideas that didn't make it through, here's a link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H0BmXoQ5ytFojoq5j7vm1l0FXMNLTpcRICPwkPZzUnk/edit
> 
> Oh, yeah, one last little trick. I've been scattering bits and pieces of LeeandLie's cover of Question throughout the story. Obviously not the entire song, but they're still there. Just a little thing for you to look around for, if you ever decide to reread the thing. 
> 
> That's all for now. Thank you for reading this whole thing, and I'll see you all again eventually!


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